sports📡 The GuardianBy Jonny WeeksJul 11, 2026👁 2 views
Tunnel vision: candid photos of World Cup 2026 stars
Tunnel vision: candid photos of World Cup 2026 stars
Footballers are known for their eclectic matchday rituals: Lionel Messi likes to drink maté with teammate Rodrigo De Paul at exactly 9.30am, while Harry Kane always dons the left side of his kit first. These candid photos show the 2026 World Cup’s elite players finalising their mental and physical preparations
Luka Modric reacts in the tunnel before playing Panama at Toronto Stadium. Photograph: Joosep Martinson/FIFA/Getty ImagesJonny WeeksSat 11 Jul 2026 07.00 EDTLast modified on Sat 11 Jul 2026 10.17 EDTShareView image in fullscreenØrjan Håskjold Nyland of Norway closes his eyes and concentrates before their group match with Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenLionel Messi leads Argentina out of the tunnel for their warm up before playing Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.Photograph: Maja Hitij/FIFA/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenA wide-eyed David Alaba of Austria before the second half against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.Photograph: Alex Pantling/FIFA/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenAleksandar Pavlovic of Germany looks focused before playing Curaçao at Houston Stadium.Photograph: Molly Darlington/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenRitsu Doan and Shogo Taniguchi of Japan walk under a spotlight in the tunnel at half-time of their game against the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium.Photograph: Alex Pantling/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenJackson Irvine of Australia glances up before a group match against Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.Photograph: Alex Livesey/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenCristiano Ronaldo is seen smirking in the tunnel before Portugal’s game against Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium.Photograph: Alex Pantling/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenFrance’s Kylian Mbappé looks steely before playing Norway at Boston Stadium.Photograph: Patrick Smith/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenViktor Gyökeres of Sweden is seen in the players’ tunnel during the group match between Japan and Sweden at Dallas Stadium.Photograph: Julian Finney/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenThe Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk waits with teammates before playing Sweden at the Houston Stadium.Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenBen Hmida of Tunisia reacts with dismay in the tunnel after their 3-1 loss to the Netherlands at Kansas City Stadium. [• This picture caption was amended on 11 July 2026; an earlier version incorrectly referenced Turkey, when Tunisia was meant]Photograph: Alex Pantling/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenDominik Kotarski of Croatia smiles in the tunnel before their group match with Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium.Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenTeam captains Rodri of Spain and Salem Aldawsari of Saudi Arabia lead their players out before their group match at Atlanta Stadium.Photograph: Patrick Smith/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenCuraçao’s players look relaxed in the tunnel during their game against Germany at Houston Stadium.Photograph: Julian Finney/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenEmiliano Martínez of Argentina gears up for their group match with Austria at Dallas Stadium.Photograph: Alex Pantling/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenDenzel Dumfries of Netherlands shoots a sideways glance as he exits the tunnel before the warm-up against Tunisia at Kansas City Stadium.Photograph: Maja Hitij/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenYasin Ayari of Sweden sits in the tunnel before their group game with Tunisia at Monterrey Stadium.Photograph: Héctor Vivas/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenHarry Kane leads the England team out of the tunnel for their game against Croatia at Dallas Stadium.Photograph: Alex Pantling/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenEdgar Yoel Barcenas of Panama stares intently before taking on Croatia at Toronto Stadium.Photograph: Joosep Martinson/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenAchraf Hakimi of Morocco catching a sliver of light as he runs out of the tunnel for the warm-up before playing Scotland in Boston.Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenA laser-focused Erling Haaland of Norway awaits the start of their group game with Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium.Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenLuka Modric of Croatia focuses in the tunnel before a game with Panama.Photograph: Joosep Martinson/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenCôte d’Ivoire players are seen looking animated in the tunnel before the second half of their match with Curaçao in Philadelphia.Photograph: Sean M Haffey/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenMatías Galarza of Paraguay runs his fingers through his hair before playing Australia at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.Photograph: Alex Livesey/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenDjibril Sow of Switzerland catches a pool of warm sunlight in the tunnel before their group match with Canada in Vancouver.Photograph: Sarah Stier/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenJohn Souttar of Scotland walks out of the tunnel with teammates before playing Morocco at Boston Stadium.Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareView image in fullscreenEngland’s Jude Bellingham keeps his gaze low as he heads out to warm up before playing Ghana at Boston Stadium.Photograph: Patrick Smith/Fifa/Getty ImagesShareExplore more on these topics
