Okay I admit it, I'm not a big fan of the 'real' football (though I'm huge on American Football, go Giants!), but these FIFA 2006 posters were a real treat as a collective. Individually some of them are losers in my humble opinion, especially the first row representing Great Britain and Germany. Either I'm not getting the concept, there was none, or the execution didn't cut it.

But enough time dwelling on the slackers, let's concentrate on the more inspired pieces, most notably the piece for Ghana. Does anyone have a version in a higher resolution? I love the print but can barely make out the somewhat hidden figures. I suspect that's an abstract representation of an African quilt and even though that's well executed and stands on its own, the hidden figures really gives it that extra push to distance it from the other pieces. Then there's Gursky's piece for Germany, it really conveys the passion for the sport, and without figures or the ball, just a suggestion of the field. I can't tell what the white spots are, but well done. The strongest visuals are always the one that don't come out and hit you in the head, but the ones that allow you to arrive at a meaning on your own. And I think this is the case because when you arrive at your own meaning behind a piece, it's obviously more personal. And as for Japan's? Not fair because anything with Samurai (as long as it's decently executed) in it is definitely a go. Same thing goes for ninjas. Where's America's entry?

Update: Some more information about the individual artists.