Behind the Book: The World's Game with Andrés Landazábal

Award-winning illustrator Andrés Landazábal discusses his love of football, the collaborative process behind bringing a picture book to life and the joy of creating stories that celebrate connection, community and shared experiences.

How did you first hear about the project? What were your initial thoughts?

My awesome agent, Anne Moore Armstrong, told me one day about this project centered around football/soccer, and I immediately got very excited because I really, really love the sport. What especially caught my attention, however, was its focus on unity despite our differences and on supporting one another no matter which team we cheer for. That truly resonated with me because, clearly, the world needs that kind of unity more than ever.

The project itself began taking shape during the Agency’s very first retreat, I believe, which took place in Bogotá, Colombia, in March 2025. The art director for the book is Nicole de las Heras, and we discovered that we had many things in common, among them a shared passion for football (she is a huuuge fan—hehe). I believe that shared enthusiasm and connection played a big role in bringing this project to life.

Do you enjoy football?

My friends from high school might laugh if they ever read this interview because they never really saw me as a football fan, let alone a player (I’m far too clumsy), but yes… I do enjoy watching football very much.

I can go to a pub all by myself and get lost in the matches while sketching the crowd watching the game. There is something very emotional about football: the heartbreak, the drama, the celebration. I love being surrounded by that energy, especially because some of my drawings might end up carrying that exact same feeling.

Excited about the 2026 World Cup? Who’re you rooting for?

Of course I am! I can’t wait for it to start. I’ll definitely be rooting for Colombia and Spain… and well, let’s add Argentina and England to the list too. Haha.

Tell me a little about your process, how did you approach illustrating the book?

Well, after reading the manuscript several times and trying to understand who the writer is, which usually involves researching who they are, what books they have written, as well as what the editor and art director are aiming for, I begin to form an approach.

Once I feel I have a good understanding, I start making sketches of the main characters. Once those are approved, I move on to sketching the interior illustrations for the book. There is usually a lot of back and forth with the editor, the art director, and, if I’m lucky, the writer, whose notes are always a huge blessing.

When the entire sketching phase is approved and we move into color, I first send a color sample before painting the whole book. I do this because I want to make sure the emotions needed to tell the story are present in the color palette as well.

Again, there is some back and forth with comments and feedback, and then I finally move on to painting the book.

What was your favourite spread from the book?

I love this book, all of it, to be honest, and choosing just one favorite spread wouldn’t be fair at all. I’ll try my very best to pick at least two spreads so my answer doesn’t get too long.

I would say spread 30–31 is my favorite because they showcase that sense of unity I mentioned before, despite being part of the “rival” team. There is no division, only unity and joy.

Also, another favorite of mine is spread 32–33 because, again, it shows the happiness that football can bring across any culture. It doesn’t matter whether your team won or not, you are celebrating anyway.

What’s next for you? Any exciting new projects you can hint at? Or what would be your dream project?

Hasta Pronto Is a Promise written by the amazing Cynthia Harmony and to be published by the wonderful people at Macmillan, is coming out at the end of this year if I’m not mistaken! I’m also working on many other wonderful projects at the moment. This is definitely by far the busiest year I’ve ever had, and it’s all thanks to my awesome agent, Anne. Thank you for believing in me, I’m so grateful to you.

I’m currently working on three books for HarperCollins, and two of them are what I would definitely consider “dream projects.” They involve talking animals, and I absolutely love drawing those kinds of characters. The stories are incredibly heartwarming, and I’m sure children all over the world will love them.

I’m also illustrating books for two independent publishing houses—again, beautiful and heartwarming stories. One is about a child who loves writing stories, and I really saw myself in her, although the story goes much deeper than that. As for the other book, I’m still waiting for the manuscript to arrive. I’ve already read a draft, but I currently have so many things in my head that I can’t quite remember all the details, though I’m sure it’s going to be amazing!

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The World’s Game is out now, published by Random House Children’s. Written by Yamile Saied Méndez . Illustrated by Andrés Landazábal. Get your copy here.

To work with Andrés, get in touch with his agent Anne Moore Armstrong here.