Sophia Jozwiak/Houston Public Media
Betirri has exhibited his surrealist soccer paintings at four previous FIFA World Cup tournaments: Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022 and the Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015. Now, his work will be displayed in the heart of his hometown as the 2026 men’s tournament comes to Houston.
Betirri has lived in the city’s East End for over 10 years, creating artwork that focuses on the intersection of soccer and art. So when the East End Cultural District set out to find an artist to paint a mural to commemorate the seven World Cup games that will be played in Houston this summer, it was a perfect matchup.
The more than 200-foot-long Gateway Mural, designed by Betirri and painted alongside a team of six other East End artists, will go up along the METRO light rail line on Harrisburg Boulevard, also known as the Green Line. Its proximity to the World Cup Fan Fest means it will welcome visitors to the East End — both during and after the tournament, with Houston hosting games between June 14 and July 4.
In late April, Betirri discussed his creative process as he and the team of painters worked on the massive art installation inside an empty studio space borrowed from an East End business.
Intersecting soccer and art
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Betirri’s love of soccer started at a young age. But when he developed asthma, he traded playing for painting.
“I couldn’t keep training, so I ended up in my room doodling, drawing, painting,” he said.
When it came time for college, Betirri said he chose to study architecture as a way of combining his love for art with a more traditional career — but the 2008 recession made it hard to find work. So he decided to go back to school for painting and went on to pursue art professionally in 2012.
At the time, with the World Cup in Brazil approaching, Betirri said he decided to go all in on soccer-centric artwork.
“I thought, ‘If I’m creating these kinds of paintings, I have to bring them to the fans.’ And I did everything that I could to make it happen,” he said.
He sold his most expensive painting to cover travel costs, then headed to Brazil with 10 paintings to display at a community-led fan festival.
“It was amazing. I got to have an exhibition at this VIP area, and I sold a couple of my paintings and a few prints,” he said. “I came back to Houston thinking, ‘OK, now what? This is a dream come true, now what do I do?’ So I just thought, ‘Well, I just need to keep going.'”
Coming home
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Over the next decade, Betirri followed the tournament from country to country, displaying his works at fan festivals around the world. Then in 2022, Houston was chosen as a host city for the 2026 World Cup.
“It was amazing. I really never expected that it was going to happen,” he said.
After years of exhibiting in foreign places, he says he felt a responsibility to make his hometown proud.
“I remember bringing my paintings to every country and it was a challenge, not knowing the country, not knowing really anyone, working on logistics. It was a lot of work,” he said. “When I found out that it was coming to Houston, I was thinking, ‘Well, it’s coming home. I’m going to be a good host and organize my own home.'”
He said he started working on designs almost immediately.
“I started really reaching out to organizations, people that believe in the game, and I was thinking, ‘How can I bring them together and be part of a team that represents what we’re doing here?'” he said.
That’s when he started going to East End Cultural District meet-ups. When the organizers said they were looking for a World Cup muralist, Betirri said he felt the stars aligning.
“I said, ‘That would be amazing. That would be a dream,’” he said.
They told him the wall for the mural was 22-feet tall and 230-feet wide — it would be the largest piece Betirri had ever created. But he didn’t have to do it alone.
The commission included a mentorship program so Betirri could have some extra hands while also providing valuable experience to other East End artists.
He said the design process was exceptionally collaborative, combining his own athletic surrealism aesthetic with both community input and international influence. From the types of elements chosen to the color palette used, everything in this massive masterpiece is meant to draw connections from the East End to the countries competing in Houston-hosted games, he said.
There are tulips for the Netherlands, a Rooster of Barcelos for Portugal, trains for the East End’s rail system. Even the jerseys depicted from each team are intentional.
“Saudi Arabia, their first World Cup was 1994 [in the] U.S. Why don’t we put their uniform that they used back in 1994 into the design? I thought that was a great idea,” Betirri said, recalling one brainstorming session. “It became like this collective team effort.”
Installation intricacies
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Since the mural wall is situated along a light rail line, it would be too dangerous for Betirri and his team to paint the design directly onto the surface. So instead, they painted the design in pieces from the safety of an indoor studio space.
Over the course of several months, the team painted individual strips of canvas that will ultimately piece together like a 230-foot-long puzzle. Once finished, Betirri said the city plans to temporarily shut down that light rail line to allow for safe installation. All the pieces will be assembled and adhered to the Harrisburg wall, then with weather-proofing materials so the design can stay on display for years to come.
