FIFA changes photographer policy after Tuchel’s complaints during World Cup match
England's head coach couldn't see his own players during the national anthem, and FIFA actually listened
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.
“It ruined a little bit my experience today.”
Tuchel described the situation as diminishing, emphasizing that the moment of standing with his squad during the national anthem carries real psychological weight.
The complaint was formal, direct, and apparently persuasive. FIFA established a compromise almost immediately: photographers would be repositioned closer to the halfway line for subsequent matches. Alternatively, coaches could stand beside the photographers rather than behind them. Either way, the sight lines would be preserved.
FIFA’s balancing act
But FIFA also has 48 teams in this expanded tournament format, meaning more matches, more coaches, and more potential complaints if the issue wasn’t addressed.
The revised policy applies to all upcoming matches, not just England’s fixtures. FIFA didn’t frame this as a one-off accommodation for a high-profile coach. It treated it as a systemic fix, acknowledging that the original positioning created a problem that could affect any team’s staff at any venue across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
No further complaints about photographer positioning have been reported since the change was implemented.