ATLANTA (AP) 鈥� Erik Lesser is an Atlanta-based freelance photographer with 40 years of professional experience covering sports, politics, breaking news and features. This is his first working for The Associated Press.
Why this photo
I was following Lionel Messi as he left the main Argentina celebrations and was approaching a group of disappointed England players closer to my position. I was hopeful there would be an interaction with England captain Harry Kane. Of course, both players are global soccer stars, so capturing them together at the end of the match was important.
How I made this photo
This was shot with my main camera, which I was using with a 100-300 2.8 lens with a 1.4 converter. That gave me the extra reach to capture these moments but it also meant I was not over-lensed if something happened closer to me.
Why it works
This image shows the genuine respect the pair have for each other. While one can see the disappointment in Kane鈥檚 body language, Messi is not gloating and acts like a gentleman. It鈥檚 almost like Kane is saying 鈥測ou beat us fair and square.鈥� Being able to see both of their faces and have a clean background was fortunate as well.
___
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
