Sports Illustrated Is Turning The World Cup Into A 48-Nation Art Project

Every four years, the World Cup becomes one of sport’s ultimate global spectacles — a cultural juggernaut, in fact, that draws more viewers than the Olympics. That scale sits at the heart of a new editorial experiment from Sports Illustrated ahead of this year’s tournament, which has expanded to 48 teams for what will be the largest World Cup ever when it kicks off June 11 in Mexico City.

In what the magazine has called one of the most “ambitious” creative projects in its history, Sports Illustrated commissioned dozens of artists from around the world to create a unique cover for every participating nation this year. The magazine’s June issue will spotlight each of those countries and their teams via 48 illustrated digital covers, plus four print covers — all of which have been filtered through the lens of everything from ancient symbolism to national celebrations and folklore-inspired visuals.

One such cover imagines the French national team performing inside a Moulin Rouge-style setting, while another depicts Mexico’s players as contemporary warriors. For the American cover, star Christian Pulisic is placed at the center of a fireworks-lit celebration of fans.

The World Cup, through the eyes of global artists

Steve Cannella, Sports Illustrated’s editor-in-chief, told Forbes that the magazine “approached this issue as a hybrid of both sports journalism and cultural journalism.

“The reporting in this issue is spearheaded by our SI FC editors who bring soccer analysis and insights about each one of the 48 competing teams. To complement that expertise, the artistic execution of this issue illuminates the culture of soccer in each nation – the history, traditions, geography, social institutions and more that tell the story of the World Cup through each nation.”

The hope behind this project, as Sports Illustrated creative director Stephen Skalocky tells it, was that the illustrations would capture the sense of community and shared identity that turns the World Cup into something bigger than just a sporting event. “These artists,” he tells Forbes, “have their own direct connection to the culture they’re depicting, making them the best storytellers to communicate that message.”

The illustrator roster itself includes award-winning artists from around the world, among them a former Sports Illustrated art director, a TV cartoonist, and an Art Directors Club Hall of Fame member. The result, in Skalocky’s words: “48 incredible covers with themes of hope, unity and passion.”

Readers can explore the covers and learn more about each team by visiting a dedicated digital hub, while the magazine’s four print World Cup covers will also be available for purchase through Sports Illustrated’s issues store.

The covers themselves span a wide range of visual and cultural interpretations. For the American edition, illustrator Nate Sweitzer centered the artwork around Pulisic and “the excitement of hosting matches on American soil as a potential source of unity and hope in an increasingly divided nation,” surrounding the U.S. star with fireworks and flag-waving fans.

Argentina illustrator Martin Laksman said the project offered a chance to show “what it’s like to experience a World Cup here,” while Mexican illustrator C.R. Canseco portrayed the country’s players as “warriors” moving with “an ancient soul, but contemporary action.”

“There is a specific kind of rhythm in Mexican culture — a strength that comes from moving together,” Canseco said. “I focused on that collective action.”

As much as the project reflects the scale of the World Cup itself, it also doubles as something of a statement about where Sports Illustrated sees sports storytelling heading next. Cannella told me the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams pushed the magazine toward wanting to spotlight “the ways it brings communities and cultures together every four years.”

In all, the Sports Illustrated World Cup package this year encompasses a 148-page print issue, digital hub, social content, and dozens of commissioned illustrations — a conscious attempt at a more curated approach than normal. As Skalocky put it, print media has increasingly reintroduced itself “as artistic, collectible items,” with this issue designed to function both as journalism and as an object fans may want to keep long after the tournament ends.