Thomas Tuchel stood on the touchline for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on June 18, ready to soak in one of football’s most iconic pre-match rituals. Instead, he got an eyeful of camera lenses and photographer backs.
FIFA moved quickly to revise its pre-match photographer positioning guidelines after Tuchel filed a formal complaint about the obstruction. The governing body agreed to shift photographers closer to the halfway line for all remaining matches in the tournament, giving coaching staff an unobstructed view of their players during national anthems.
What actually happened in Dallas
During England’s opening group stage match against Croatia, photographers were positioned roughly half a meter from the bench. For context, that’s about arm’s length. Close enough for Tuchel to tap one on the shoulder and ask them to move, which is essentially what he did, just through official channels.
The positioning meant Tuchel and his coaching staff were effectively walled off from their own team during the anthems.
