As the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its climax, the BBC takes a look at some of the most memorable photos from the tournament, and how they echo classic works of art. From the intensity of football matches to the raw emotion of fans, these images capture the essence of the beautiful game and its ability to transcend the sport itself.
England vs Mexico
A photo capturing the focused intensity of a stampede of players, led by Harry Kane and Jesús Gallardo, competing for the ball in Mexico City. Julian Finney's image recalls the velocity and vectors of Umberto Boccioni's Futurist masterpiece, 'The Charge of the Lancers' (1916).Ghana vs Panama
Nathan Denette's dramatic photo of Ghana's Ernest Nuamah colliding with Panama's César Blackman in Toronto. The ball becomes the suspended site of climactic impact, echoing boxer Jack Dempsey's fall in George Bellow's painting 'The Fight' (1926).Bosnia-Herzegovina vs USA
Amel Emric's photo of a young Bosnia-Herzegovina fan in despair, his mouth open in anguish, parodies the history of horrified howls in art, from Caravaggio's Medusa to Edvard Munch's 'The Scream'.Morocco vs Netherlands
Carl Recine's photo of Morocco's Ismael Saibari celebrating a winning penalty, chiselled like Bernini's 'David'. The image captures the rotational torque of the player, with hips sprung and shirt spiralled like a weapon.Norway vs Senegal
Justin Setterfield's photo of Norway fans performing their rowing chant, a vibrant mosaic of communal enthusiasm, recalls Paul Klee's 'Rose Garden' (1920), a painting of a place portrayed as a pulsing engine of synchronised scarlet strokes.Portuguese fans
Thomas Coex's photo of Portuguese fans waving a banner of Ronaldo reimagined as 'St Ronaldo', echoing the contours of St Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes.South Africa vs Canada
Mark Terrill's photo of South Africa's Sphephelo Sithole and Canada's Jonathan David, locked in an intense dance for possession, recalls countless depictions of tangoed intertwinement in cultural history.Argentina vs Egypt
Carlos Barria's photo of Lionel Messi, buoyant both in body and spirit, hurled heavenward by his teammates, echoes Tiepolo's 'Ascension of Christ' (1745-50), where the wonder of devotees is responsible for the miraculous levitation.Spain vs Uruguay
Fernando Llano's photo of Marc Cucurella, with his intense stare, rhymes with the penetrating gaze of Gustav Courbet's self-portrait (1843).France vs Spain
Lars Baron's photo of Desire Doue in despair, retreating behind the blue veil of his upturned jersey, inverts the unsettling dynamic of 19th-century marble busts, where stone seemed as sinuous and translucent as silken veils.
These images, while capturing the raw emotion and intensity of the World Cup, also echo timeless works of art, reminding us of the power of photography to transcend the sport and become a cultural phenomenon.
