By Muslim 
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially drawn to a close, with Spain standing atop the podium as world champions. While the tournament will be remembered for the tactical masterclasses on the pitch and the high-stakes drama of the knockout stages, it was also a landmark event for the visual storytellers who documented it. For sports photographers, the 2026 edition—hosted across the expansive territories of the United States, Mexico, and Canada—represented a logistical marathon, a test of patience, and a masterclass in adaptation.
PetaPixel spoke with two renowned Nikon Ambassadors, Andrew Hancock and Joel Marklund, to peel back the curtain on what it truly takes to photograph the world’s most-watched sporting event under the watchful eye of FIFA’s stringent regulations.
The Logistical Challenge: A Continent-Spanning Tournament
The 2026 tournament presented a radical departure from the localized, compact nature of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. In 2022, photographers could easily cover two matches in a single day due to the proximity of stadiums. In 2026, the sheer geography of North America transformed the role of the photographer from mere observer to endurance athlete.
Joel Marklund, who oversees the Scandinavia-based sports agency Bildbyrån, found his professional life dictated by long-haul flights and sleepless nights. "For me, I covered four matches in four days at the beginning of the tournament," Marklund notes. "It was an incredibly intense trip. There were nights with no sleep, where late-evening matches were immediately followed by the earliest possible morning flights to the next host city."
Marklund’s itinerary was a dizzying tour of the continent: he captured Sweden’s opening foray in Monterrey, Mexico, before racing to Los Angeles for the high-profile showdown between Iran and New Zealand. His lens also documented Argentina versus Algeria in the heart of Kansas City, and the classic European clash of England against Croatia in Dallas.
Even when he wasn’t on the ground in North America, the pressure remained constant. Marklund split his tournament schedule to accommodate the Wimbledon tennis championships, returning to the U.S. for the final stretch: the semifinals in Dallas and Atlanta, and the ultimate showpiece in New Jersey.
Security, Politics, and the "Big Picture"
As the tournament reached its crescendo, the challenges shifted from travel fatigue to the complexities of high-level event management. The final in New Jersey necessitated a level of security unprecedented even for FIFA standards. Marklund arrived at the stadium at 7:00 A.M.—eight hours before kickoff—anticipating the bottlenecks that would inevitably arise.
"You would think that arriving eight hours early is overstretching, but a World Cup final always involves heavy security and massive media queues," Marklund explains. "We knew beforehand that the U.S. President would attend, adding a layer of Secret Service protocol. Even with that early arrival, it took more than three hours just to clear the security perimeter."
The presence of political figures added a surreal layer to the photography. Marklund highlights the commercialization of the tournament—notably the mandatory hydration breaks used for advertising—and the strange intersection of sport and statecraft. He recalls the suspension of U.S. player Folarin Balogun’s red card following high-level dialogue between the White House and FIFA, a move that directly impacted the tournament’s competitive integrity.
"As predicted, FIFA president Gianni Infantino tried to maneuver things, but Donald Trump stayed put and didn’t leave the podium when the winning team, Spain, celebrated with the trophy," says Marklund. "For me, that photograph sums up this tournament: that the sport is just a puzzle piece of a much bigger, more complex picture."
Technical Restrictions and the "Curse of the Celebration"
While Marklund focused on the grand narratives, Andrew Hancock approached the tournament with the precision of a field strategist. Based in Dallas, Hancock utilized the Texas city as his home base, venturing out to Houston and Kansas City when his primary venue was idle. Over the course of the tournament, he shot 16 matches, each requiring meticulous preparation.
For a photographer who prides himself on mobility, the 2026 World Cup was an exercise in frustration. FIFA’s strict rules dictate that once a match begins, photographers with pitch-side access are generally confined to their assigned seats.
"To say that mobility is limited is an understatement," Hancock admits. "I like to work with remote cameras to cover multiple angles, but FIFA restricted the number of outlets allowed to place hardware behind the goal or at the top of the stadium. I had to be incredibly calculated in choosing my seat before the game."
Hancock’s process involved rigorous pre-match analysis. He studied heat maps, analyzed previous team performances, and anticipated player movements to determine which seat would offer the highest probability of a "hero shot." However, even the best-laid plans are no match for the unpredictable nature of soccer.
"I did not expect to be cursed with near-zero goal celebrations," Hancock says with a laugh. "Of the 50 goals scored in the 16 matches I covered, 47 celebrations went away from me. Only two came my way, and those were both in the first week. It’s the luck of the draw, but you learn to pivot—you start looking for the dejection of the losing team, which becomes a much more poignant story as you move into the knockout rounds."
Artistic Innovation: The Multiple Exposure Approach
When the standard action photography felt constrained by the limitations of his seat, Hancock turned to artistic experimentation. He began utilizing in-camera multiple exposure modes, blending the intensity of on-field action with the architectural details of the stadiums and the urban landscapes of the host cities.
By overlaying images—such as a player’s face merged with the stylized sun of the Argentine flag—Hancock sought to capture the "feeling" of the World Cup rather than just the scoreline. This technique provided a creative outlet to transcend the "fixed-point" photography that defined his coverage, allowing him to produce work that felt ethereal and distinct from the standard wire service imagery.
Professional Implications and the Road to 2030
The 2026 World Cup served as a massive networking event for the global photographic community. Hancock noted the camaraderie among professionals, particularly the presence of Nikon Ambassadors from three different countries at a single semifinal.
"It was great to meet so many photographers whose work I’ve followed on social media," he says. "It was a massive learning experience. You realize that despite the frustrations of security, the limits on mobility, and the unpredictable nature of the game, you are constantly refining your craft. I know that after this, I will be in a much better position to make the images I am truly capable of making in 2030."
Key Takeaways for Sports Photography
- Preparation is Paramount: As demonstrated by both Marklund and Hancock, the difference between a good shot and a great shot in the modern era is often decided hours before the whistle, through analysis of player behavior and venue layouts.
- The "Big Picture" Reality: The 2026 World Cup proved that sports are increasingly inseparable from broader political and commercial contexts. Photographers who can capture these nuances are the ones who define the historical record of the event.
- Adaptation as a Skill: When technology and regulation limit the photographer’s physical movement, the ability to innovate—through remote camera placement or in-camera artistic techniques—becomes the differentiator.
- Resilience: The physical and mental toll of a month-long, continent-spanning tournament cannot be overstated. Success at this level requires as much stamina as it does technical skill.
As the industry looks toward the next cycle, the 2026 tournament will be studied as a case study in how to document a massive, fragmented event. For the photographers on the front lines, it was a month of chaos, missed celebrations, and long-haul flights—all in pursuit of that single, definitive frame that captures the essence of the game.
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