Wharfebank Business Centre neighbours team up to kit out the world’s biggest football tournament

When Global Scarves LLC needed a creative partner to produce the official licensed scarf designs for FIFA World Cup 2026™, they didn’t have to look far, they turned to fellow Wharfebank tenant, Hand Drawn Pixels and the result is a collection unlike anything previously seen at this tournament.

Hand Drawn Pixels have delivered close to 200 unique designs, each celebrating the cultural identity, football heritage and fan spirit of every competing nation. The scarves will appear across major retail channels in North America and Europe, including Fanatics-run stadium stores and fan festivals, as well as the FIFA Store.

Pushing the boundaries of what can be woven

The brief was anything but straightforward. Every design had to navigate FIFA’s complex brand guideline framework while also respecting the physical constraints of woven scarf production, a balance between creative ambition and manufacturing reality. With a truly global audience watching, the artwork needed to be bold, celebratory and instantly recognisable to each country’s fans.

Designer and founder Tom Pitts led the creative process, immersing himself in the flag colours, kit history, cultural patterns, historic figures and iconic visual language of each competing nation. As a lifelong Sheffield United supporter, Tom brings a genuine understanding of what the football scarf means to fans , not just as merchandise, but as a symbol of identity, pride and belonging.

“It’s been an amazing creative challenge to truly reflect the individuality and diversity of the nations competing in this prestigious tournament on such an iconic product as the football scarf. The final collection is testament to a truly collaborative approach between us and our client, Global Scarves LLC. We’ve combined our designs with their technical expertise to create products that we hope football fans across the world will treasure.”

Tom Pitts, Designer and Founder, Hand Drawn Pixels

Creative vision meets manufacturing expertise

The collaboration is a great example of what can happen when creative and production talent share the same building. Global Scarves LLC brought three generations of textile knowledge to the table, allowing the partnership to push what is technically achievable in woven scarf manufacturing. Each nation received a truly bespoke design, one that stands alone while also working cohesively in a retail environment alongside a companion bucket hat collection.

“It was crucial to find the right creative partner who shared our passion and enthusiasm. As a third generation textile producer, it was my personal mission to ensure we worked with a designer who could bring to life the spirit and affinity that every football fan feels towards their scarf. Tom and his team have achieved everything I envisioned creatively and, with our great partnership, we have pushed the boundaries of what is possible from a manufacturing perspective.”

Alan Foster, Founder and VP Business Development, Global Scarves LLC

And that’s not all

The collaboration didn’t stop at design and manufacturing. When it came to capturing the collection through photography and film, Global Scarves LLC and Hand Drawn Pixels once again looked within the Wharfebank Business Centre community, partnering with fellow tenant MChar Media.

Led by Mile Charlesworth and captured by Rafael Henriques, MCharMedia handled the photography and video production for the collection launch, creating visual content that showcases the scale, detail and individuality of the scarf range ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026™.

The project highlights the strength of creative collaboration within Wharfebank Business Centre, with design, manufacturing and media production expertise all coming together under one roof to deliver work for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.