Kansas City has become an open stage for World Cup festivities, welcoming fans from around the world in a celebratory atmosphere, with the city hosting a series of artworks tied to the tournament.
Several artistic initiatives have underscored that the World Cup is not merely a sporting competition played out on the pitch, but also a space for merging art with football and highlighting the stories of players and fans in scenes that transcend the boundaries of the green rectangle.
The city centre has been home to a striking mural bringing together Ecuador and Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho and Argentina star Lionel Messi, created on the wall of Señorita Margarita, an Ecuadorian restaurant in the city, with support from the "Ecuador in Kansas City" initiative and Los Angeles-based artist Alex.
Artist Alex said: "I was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and grew up in Los Angeles. We came to Kansas City to paint a mural of Willian Pacho for the national team, the community, and everyone to enjoy," adding that the project carries a message of collective celebration of football.
Alex explained, in a video published on the official website of FIFA: "Pacho is a heroic player to me — he wins in Europe, he is very strong and represents the future. He is a young player on a rising trajectory toward the top, and that is what matters most to me, because he reflects a national team with a promising future ahead of it."
The mural comes at a time when Pacho, the Paris Saint-Germain player, is experiencing one of the most prominent stages of his footballing career, having established himself as a rising name in Ecuadorian football and one of the defensive pillars of the national team during the tournament.
Ecuador's fans have drawn widespread attention at the 2026 World Cup, arriving in the United States in large numbers to support their national team, forming a distinctive presence among the tournament's supporters, particularly through their celebrations and eye-catching costumes.
Meanwhile, Messi remains an ever-present star and a living legend of football, having led Argentina to a strong start in the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City, making his inclusion in the mural as a legendary symbol a natural choice following his participation in the "Tango" team's opening match in the city.
The "Ecuador in Kansas City" initiative views the project as a reflection of the cultural interaction that the World Cup generates beyond the pitch, as host cities are transformed simultaneously into spaces for art, identity, and sport.