Getty Images – Getty Images – This year’s World Cup had a team of more than 50 photographers and World Cup staff in Qatar, plus 20 other editors in London and around the world editing the images in real time and making them available to participants within seconds.
Below is a selection of the great photos from her library of the 2022 World Cup – and the story behind each one as written by the person who captured them.
November 23: Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer joins the attack to contest a header with Japan defender Maya Yoshida at Khalifa International Stadium (Photo by Dan Mullan)
Don Mullan: I was in the fairway, high up, wearing a harness with two cameras and two lenses strapped in front of me. And that was when Neuer ran out of his own net and took part in a corner kick in the final moments of the match. Often you can not take a picture of goalkeepers inside the picture frame. And being in a high angle like this, not knowing which team is attacking from which team is defending, something that doesn’t happen in most football games. What made this photo attractive is that the ball is in the air, and all the players are looking at it. Seeing the players’ faces adds dimension to the picture – especially from above.
image copyright Lars Baron
November 23: Croatian Marcelo Brozovic lies on the ground to defend a free kick during the match against Morocco (Photo by Lars Baron).
Lars Baron: When Morocco was awarded a direct free kick outside the penalty area, Croatia were perfectly positioned to act out the defensive wall. Most teams now have a player lying on the ground to stop a low ball if they jump up the wall, so this time I thought it might be a good idea to focus on the player lying with the jumping defenders portrayed by their boots.
image copyright (photo by Michael Steele)
November 24: Richarlison scores Brazil’s second goal in their first group win, 2-0, against Serbia at Lusail Stadium (Photo by Michael Steele).
Michael Steele: This picture of Richarlison scoring his amazing goal against Serbia was taken by a remote camera placed in the media corner. Reaching a high position only happens in major football leagues and it creates new angles. I had two cameras set up and fixed on the rail parallel to the 18-yard square – one with a wider lens showing the supporters with this tighter frame, which I operated with my handheld camera from my position on the halfway line.
image copyright And Mullan
November 26: Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez scores his side’s second goal in their 2-0 group stage victory over Mexico at Lusail Stadium (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Don Mullan: I took this photo using a small remote camera placed inside the goal and I controlled it from my position on the side of the pitch. It’s a unique angle that we’ve been working on for a while. What makes this photo poignant is that the Mexico goalkeeper dives into the air as the ball crosses the goal line. It’s very difficult these days to find different angles in football, but every now and then something happens and works – and this is one of them. The credit goes to my colleagues at Getty Images who perfected the technology behind the scenes to allow us to capture moments like this.
image copyright Matthias Hangst
November 30: Argentina’s Lionel Messi is fouled by Wojciech Szczesny of Poland during their Group C match at Stade 974 – this results in a penalty being awarded after a video check (Photo by Matthias Hangst)
Mathias haNast: I was tasked with working on the catwalk for this match. This means that you are allowed to remain on the roof of the stadium, secured with a harness and safety cables to cover a football match from a bird’s eye view. It gives a unique and different perspective. I was completely focused on Argentina attacking because Messi is one of the key players in this tournament. It doesn’t happen often that he ends up facing a goalkeeper, and I was happy to cover him with my 400mm lens. The goalkeeper’s hand ended up in Messi’s face instead of hitting the ball. Messi missed the resulting penalty kick, but the team won the match.
image copyright Francois Nel
Dec. 2: Swiss Granit Xhaka and Serbian Nikola Milinkovic of Serbia face off during their Group G match at Stade 974 (Photo by Francois Niel/Getty Images)
Francois Niel: During knockout matches, it is very important to pay attention to off-the-ball incidents. Ahead of the Switzerland-Serbia game, our editors gave us a look at key Swiss players Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri. They have roots from Kosovo, and in 2018 both players scored and celebrated by forming a double-headed eagle in their hands – a nod to the Albanian flag. This vital information makes you more aware of what is going on. The ball went out of play and Xhaka and Milinkovic exchanged words, so I kept my focus on both players in case the situation escalated.
image copyright Maja Hitij – FIFA
December 3: The children prepare to walk onto the pitch with the players chatting with Messi ahead of Argentina’s Round of 16 match against Australia at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium (Image via Maja Hitij)
Maja here: There is always a buzz of excitement in the tunnel when Lionel Messi is playing, especially for the kids who accompany the players. He’s always looking to engage with the kids to make the experience a memorable one – sometimes it feels like the other players aren’t there. The tunnel is an area full of TV cameras, so we have to be vigilant and not frame ourselves – it can be hard to find the perfect spot. I put myself in the Argentinian side and waited for Messi to lead the team from the dressing rooms. He greeted every child, but one girl—who was not his escort—sneaked forward and told him she was a big fan. This was the moment she raised her thumb and smiled.
image copyright Getty Images
December 5: Brazil’s players celebrate after Neymar scores their second goal in a 4-1 Round of 16 win over South Korea at Stade 974 (Photo by François Niel)
FrancoNeil: Brazil are known for their spectacular goal-scoring celebrations, and there was a lot of talk about how disrespectful this celebration was to the opponent. When Neymar scored his team’s second goal from the penalty spot, I knew there could be a special celebration to catch the ball, so I kept my eyes on him as he ran towards my corner to get that shot. I then noticed some of his teammates approaching him to celebrate the goal, so I went back to a shorter zoom to make sure I caught all four players dancing.
image copyright photo by Alex Grimm
Morocco players celebrate after winning a penalty shootout against Spain in the Round of 16 at Education City Stadium (Photo by Alex Grimm)
Alex Grimm: As a dedicated World Cup sports photographer, you can always plan a photo before you take it. However, you cannot predict which players will be hit with adrenaline and which will freeze in shock and disbelief. In those rare moments, for just a few seconds, all focus on getting the perfect shot mixed with excitement and euphoria – especially since it was underdogs Morocco who beat Spain to reach the quarter-finals.
image copyright Patrick Smith – FIFA
December 10: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during his 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Morocco at El Thumama Stadium (Photo by Patrick Smith)
Patrick Smith: I was working from the catwalk and with less than 10 minutes left, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were on their way out of the tournament. I intended to follow every moment of Ronaldo. Once he came off the bench in the second half, he would either influence the game – maybe score a spectacular goal – or be sent off in what could be his last World Cup game. This image was the result of a missed opportunity of late and sums up the story of Portugal’s loss and Ronaldo’s personal disappointment.
image copyright (photo by Alexander Hassenstein)
December 10: Moroccan Sofiane Boufal celebrates with his mother after beating Portugal to reach the last four (Photo by Alexandre Hassanstein)
Alexander Hasan Stein: For this game, I had the opportunity to work from a vantage point in the media tribune directly above the seats. They usually put us on the field of play, so it was good to get a different perspective – especially for this shot of Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal dancing to celebrate his mother. It was a magical moment as Boufal found his mother from the stands and took her onto the pitch to celebrate and dance together for the world to see. I was completely mesmerized by the fun and atmosphere as the two danced so beautifully together – a moment they will remember for the rest of their lives.
image copyright (photo by Dan Mullan)
December 13: Julian Alvarez scores Argentina’s second goal in their 3-0 semi-final victory over Croatia at Lusail Stadium (Photo by Dan Mullan).
Don Mullan: In this match I was fortunate enough to be on the stage in the stadium between the lighting stands and looking down on the pitch. It’s a unique angle that we’ve worked hard on in this tournament to bring something different from our traditional pitchside stances. Here you have more freedom to choose your position on the pitch. You can think of the type of photo you want to take beforehand. In the first half I was right over the Croatian goal if Argentina scored. Fortunately they did just that. What makes this image special is the shape of the bodies – the fully outstretched leg of Álvarez shooting the ball past the oncoming goalkeeper, all while Borna Sosa is lying on the ground having failed to stop the advance.
image copyright (photo by David Ramos)
December 18: Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates the World Cup after the team’s victory over France at Lusail Stadium (Photo by David Ramos)
David Ramos: This image of Lionel Messi on Sergio Aguero’s shoulders reminds us of the scenes in 1986 when Argentina’s Maradona was carrying the World Cup aloft at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico. This time there was a moment of comedy as Messi had to avoid hitting his head as they passed under the crossbar!