“There could be this moment of what happened with Maradona” –Photographer who captured iconic image of Messi holding the World Cup explains how he purposely missed other images to get it

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At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Joel Marklund captured one of the most circulated images of the competition.

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In the first part of my interview with the Nikon Ambassador and Chief Photographer at sports photography agency Bildbyrån, he told me, "How much is remembered from the final? It's very rare that there's one game-defining moment that everyone talks about."

Last month's World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, did little to contradict that statement. But four years ago, things were a little different.

Joel managed to capture a World Cup photograph that would go down in soccer history, mirroring those famous images of Diego Maradona hoisting the trophy aloft, raised on the shoulders of his peers in 1986.

An iconic image of an icon

In 2022, it was Lionel Messi's turn to triumph on the world stage. A moment many had long considered to be the only outstanding achievement in an otherwise unrivalled career, and Joel anticipated what was going to happen to a tee.

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"What I did after the trophy lift was I moved behind the goal, where most Argentina fans were, and I was standing there for a long time." He watched in vain as other photographers photographed 'Leo' celebrating at the other end of the pitch.

"I saw Messi with his family and thought: I'm missing all these shots! But I stayed put because I knew that if something would happen, it would probably happen here."

Joel's patience paid off. The 'Little Magician' made his way across the pitch to court the Argentine fans. "It was over in a few seconds. You had 100 photographers behind me that tried to get into the spot and they couldn't because it was just too late. Anticipating is a big thing in sports photography."

Finding the most newsworthy image

Even a sports photographer who's covered 10 Olympics can't be right 100% of the time. Despite preparing for the most newsworthy outcome to the 2026 competition, Messi's Argentina couldn't repeat their triumph in the desert.

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Joel's response was to focus on the next notable moment: the lifting of the trophy.

"What's mostly remembered, from a historical perspective, is the hoisting of the trophy"

"What's mostly remembered, from a historical perspective, is the hoisting of the trophy," he explained. "It sounds like a very simple thing, but it's really hard to get into that spot to get a good angle."

With minutes still to go and Spain presiding over a narrow 1-0 lead, Joel made the critical decision to abandon his post. "I actually moved down to get a good position for the trophy lift before the final whistle. So I missed a few shots at the very end."

It was the right call. Not only would Argentina fail to equalize and force the game into extra time, but the trophy ceremony would prove to be one of the most talked-about moments of the final.

During a scene that evoked memories of Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph the year prior, US President Donald Trump once again remained on the podium to congratulate the winning team during their initial celebration, and once again it was a moment that Joel anticipated.

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He knew that both the US President and FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, would be handing out medals and the FIFA World Cup Trophy itself. But Joel didn't just arrive early to get a good spot; he was meticulous about which side of the podium he set up, too.

"I was actually on the right side, because I was thinking that if he [President Trump] will be in the picture, he'll probably be on the right side again as during the Club World Cup, so I was intentionally there."

The resulting photograph was a clear, unobstructed view of Spain's captain, Rodri, lifting the trophy aloft, teammates celebrating around him, confetti fired into the air, and both presidents smiling and applauding alongside.

A pro sport photographer's Nikon gear

Joel is a Nikon Ambassador and longtime Nikon photographer, so it's not surprising that his camera bag is bristling with the best Nikon cameras and the best Nikon Z lenses.

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The flagship Nikon Z9 is what he uses for his three primary cameras, while he also sets up a couple of remote Z9 cameras behind the goals. His main on-pitch optics include the Nikon Z 70‑200mm f/2.8 VR S and Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S. He also sometimes uses the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S.

But I was most intrigued to find out his thoughts regarding the upcoming Nikon Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S, especially as he regularly shoots with the 400mm f/2.8. He explained how it "fills a gap" for indoor sports such as ice hockey, but also tennis.

When it comes to soccer, though, the photographer's distance from the pitch comes into play with Joel rating the 120-300mm zoom range as suited to Premier League stadiums.

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"You are actually very, very close to the pitch compared to other European leagues, and you can be positioned very close to the goal as well."

And if you do need an extra push, the lens is set to feature a built-in 1.4x teleconverter, delivering a 120-420mm zoom range. And while there's no official release date for the Nikon Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S as of yet, Nikon has officially announced that the lens is in development.

As soon as more information is revealed, Digital Camera World will be reporting on it.

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