At this year’s World Cup, Getty Images had a team of more than 50 photographers and operations staff in Qatar, with a further 20 editors in London and across the world editing the images in real-time and making them available to access within seconds.
Here is a selection of 22 great photographs from its World Cup 2022 library – and the story behind them by the person who captured it:
Dan Mullan: I was positioned in the stadium catwalk high above the pitch, wearing a harness with two cameras and two lenses strapped to me, as Neuer was sent up to contest a corner in the dying moments of the match. It’s not very often you get a picture with both goalkeepers in the frame. I also like the fact that you can’t tell which team is attacking and which is defending. A high angle like this is something you don’t get in most football matches. What makes this frame work is the fact the ball is in the air, which means all the players are looking up at it. Seeing the players’ faces really adds to the picture – especially from high above.
Lars Baron: The Croatia players warmed up on the pitch when it was half in shadow and half in sunlight. When the background was in full light, I thought it would be a nice silhouette to capture, so I moved into the right position to get a good angle on Luka Modric – who is still one of the best players in the world. I set up my camera on the highlight exposer to get his head as a silhouette – everyone can still recognise it is Modric because of the shape.
Lars Baron: When Morocco were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area, Croatia were in a perfect position to illustrate a defensive wall. Most teams now place a player lying on the floor to stop a low ball if the wall jumps, so this time I thought it might be nice to focus on the player lying down with the boots of the defenders jumping.
Michael Steele: This image of Richarlison scoring his spectacular goal against Serbia was captured on a remote camera set up in the media tribune. Access to the elevated position only happens at major football tournaments and creates new angles. I had two cameras set up and clamped to a rail in line with the 18-yard box – one with a wider lens showing the supporters and this tighter frame, which I triggered via my handheld camera from my position on the halfway line.
Dan Mullan: This picture was taken using a small remote camera placed inside the goal and fired from my pitchside position. It’s a unique angle that we’ve been working at for a while. What makes this picture work is the Mexico goalkeeper diving in mid-air as the ball crosses the line. Finding different angles at a football match is very difficult these days, but every now and then something will come along that works – and this is one of them. Credit must go to my colleagues at Getty Images who have perfected the technology behind the scenes to allow us to capture moments like this.
David Ramos: Getty Images has been the authorized photographic agency of Fifa since 2009. One of the goals of this relationship is to document what goes on behind the scenes. This image is a clear example. The players all got off the bus together when they arrived at the stadium and entered the dressing room dancing and singing. I knew Ghana’s arrival was special and I decided to wait for them in a corridor halfway between the bus and the dressing room, where I could mingle with the players. The shot was easy – just a wide angle and let them go about their ritual. It’s a pity they did not progress further in the World Cup.
Matthias Hangst: I was assigned to work on the catwalk for this match. It means you are allowed to stay on a stadium roof, 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 fully focused on Argentina’s attack as Messi is one of the key players in this tournament. It does not happen too often that he ends up in a clash with a goalkeeper, and I was happy to cover it with a 400mm lens. The goalkeeper’s hand ended up in Messi’s face instead of hitting the ball. Messi missed the resulting penalty, but they still won the game.
Shaun Botterill: It is fun to capture winning moments, but the hardest part of the job is to photograph a team when they exit from the World Cup. After losing the first match, Germany were under pressure to get out of their group. Kai Havertz had come off the bench to score two goals and be awarded player of the match but they were still heading home. You try to be discreet by shooting on a longer lens and not hanging around in their eyeline too long. I was able to take a few discreet frames to capture the moment.
Francois Nel: During knockout matches, it is very important to keep an eye out for off-the-ball incidents. Before the Switzerland v Serbia match, our editors briefed us to look out for key Swiss players Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri. They have Kosovar roots and, in 2018, both players scored and celebrated by forming a double-headed eagle with their hands – a reference 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 Milenkovic exchanged words, so I stayed focused on both players in case the situation escalated.
Maja Hitij: There is always a buzz of excitement in the tunnel when Lionel Messi is playing, particularly for the kids who escort the players. He always looks to engage with the children to make the experience a memorable one – sometimes it’s like the other players don’t exist. The tunnel is an area full of television cameras, so we have to be mindful and not position ourselves in the frame for the live broadcast – it can be hard to find the perfect spot. I positioned myself on the Argentina side and waited for Messi to lead the team from the changing rooms. He greeted every kid, but one girl – who was not his escort – sneaked to the front and told him she is a big fan. This was the moment where she put her thumbs up and he smiled.
