Overview
- England manager Thomas Tuchel publicly complained that a row of photographers half a metre from the dugout blocked his view of players during the national anthem before England’s 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday.
- Press reports say FIFA responded within 24 hours by revising pre-match protocol to let coaches move left or right of the photographers so they have an unobstructed sightline during anthems, with the change used at the next match.
- The issue was driven by the AT&T Stadium layout, where a short gap between touchline and dugout forces photographers to stand very close to coaches to capture images.
- Tuchel’s complaint was amplified by video on social media and by former officials such as Keith Hackett, increasing pressure on FIFA to act quickly.
- The tweak keeps photographers in place but grouped differently at some venues, and it highlights an ongoing tension between close-up sports photography and teams’ desire for dignified ceremonial space.