FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
FOX FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 SET
Over six unforgettable weeks, I had the opportunity to work alongside an incredible team at FOX Sports to bring the FIFA World Cup broadcast to life. Together, we created a virtual environment that captured the atmosphere and excitement of the tournament while serving as the foundation for every studio show.
My contributions included 3D modeling, virtual set design, texturing, building and blueprinting Augmented Reality graphics, and building the animated scarves seen throughout the broadcast. I was also part of creating specialized segments in the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows, such as Alexi’s Power Rankings.
Rather than acting as a static backdrop, the set became a living graphics system that evolved throughout the tournament. Animated AR elements, dynamic transitions, and broadcast graphics worked together to create continuity and movement across every show, bringing the energy of the fans, host cities, and matches into the Los Angeles studio. The virtual environment was complemented by Drive Studio’s graphics package, including the team chants, scarves, and interstitials, helping create a unified visual language across the entire broadcast.
Realtime Team: Michael Adames, Jason Bognacki, Oscar Carrillo, Ethan Clark, Ethan Ching, Jared Ewing, Gina Izerel, Jesse Larson, John Martin, Jason Phipps, James Reed, Alex Seflinger, Chris Watson
Production: Zac Fields, Lauren Fisher-Jackson, Noah Hammond, Helen Kim, Joshua Perea, Bill Pinkel, Jim Rodman, Chris Smith
Art Director: Gary Hartley
THE PEOPLE BRING THE ENERGY
Great broadcast design is ultimately about the people it serves. We designed a flexible virtual environment that elevated Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Alexi Lalas while channeling the atmosphere of packed stadiums, passionate supporters, and iconic host cities. Every graphic, AR element, and camera angle was crafted to support the storytelling and energy of the FIFA World Cup.
THE STAGE
Our broadcast was built around FOX Sports’ new Stage B, a fully immersive LED volume that gave us the flexibility to reimagine the studio throughout the tournament. The space allowed our team to seamlessly combine physical and virtual production, creating dynamic environments that could transform in real time for different matches and studio segments. Together with augmented reality graphics and real-time rendering, Stage B became the foundation for a broadcast that felt immersive, energetic, and uniquely adaptable.
CREATING MOVEMENT WITH HOUDINI VATs
Many of the animated elements throughout the broadcast were powered using Vertex Animation Textures (VATs) generated in Houdini. I worked on bringing the beloved scarf to life which was seen on our player pods throughout the tournament. We used the same technique for all of our moving walls and modules. By baking complex simulations into textures that could be played back in Unreal Engine, we were able to achieve rich, high-performance motion while maintaining real-time playback for broadcast.
