Ronaldo ‘meets’ Messi and Pulisic’s tattoos: Unpicking FIFA’s World Cup portraits

There is nothing like seeing your favourite football players and coaches, who are paid a lot of money to take a game very seriously, try to let their hair down in an unusual and uncomfortable environment.

Well, in an unexpected aside to the action on the pitch, Getty Images has taken a series of portraits of the World Cup’s most prominent figures, many of which are going viral, and rarely for football reasons. Some are funny, others are awkward. And one, involving a Uruguay manager who holds a special place in the hearts of many in West Yorkshire, is slightly bizarre.

Here, The Athletic looks at some of the best and worst.

Marcelo Bielsa

“I’m not a model,” was Marcelo Bielsa’s characteristically blunt defence when he was asked why he refused to play ball with the photographers for his portrait pictures. One of football management’s true eccentrics, Bielsa, who is referred to as “El Loco” (the crazy) in his home country of Argentina, is a character who splits opinion.

Ask most Leeds United fans about Bielsa, and they’ll speak endlessly about the man who brought the club back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence, playing some of the best and most attractive football Elland Road has seen in a long time. For others, his cantankerous nature can be grating.

“I don’t have to give any explanation; the picture was taken the way it was taken,” Bielsa added. “Should I also explain why I don’t look at the people who are speaking to me at this moment?”

Either way, by staying true to his nature, Bielsa has created one of this tournament’s early viral moments.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Just before you get too excited, no, this isn’t a ‘real’ picture.

While it would be nice to imagine Getty’s photographers getting the world’s two most famous footballers to pose back to back before what will surely be their last World Cups, this is a composite image — a slightly less ambitious version of Annie Leibovitz’s image of the pair playing chess to advertise Louis Vuitton.

Given relations between Messi and Ronaldo have not always been overly friendly, that’s probably for the best.

Dan Burn

Dan Burn was a surprising inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, even though he has featured fairly regularly since the German started as England manager last year.

While Tuchel might yet spring a surprise with his team selection as England hope to improve on their run to the quarter-finals from 2022, Burn is expected to be a squad player who will likely see little on-pitch action.

Perhaps this is Burn preparing to watch his team-mates from the comfort of the bench, letting his mind wander, or spectating in awe as England dominate the group on their way through to the knockouts.

Declan Rice

Look, Declan, we’ve all been there. You’ve forgotten to apply sunscreen or overestimated your ability to adjust to a sunnier climate than London.

At least Rice, who was almost as pink as his football boots, can see the funny side.

“I think everyone’s seen them photos,” he told reporters. “I was bright red at that photoshoot, my mum was killing me.”

Orbelin Pineda

Mexico have been searching for the elusive ‘quinto partido’ (fifth game) since reaching the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. They were knocked out at the last-16 stage at every tournament from 1994 to 2018, before failing to reach the knockout stage in 2022.

In theory, a fifth game is more likely than ever this year. Progression to the knockouts is already sealed and, as group winners, their round-of-32 game will be in front of a home crowd in Mexico City.

What had once felt impossible, as is written on Orbelin Pineda’s neck, seems possible again.

John McGinn

What might seem slightly odd at first glance is actually a heartwarming story that exemplifies why John McGinn is one of the most well-liked players in football, regardless of club and international allegiance.

Those who watched Scotland’s 1-0 win over Haiti will have seen McGinn, who scored his nation’s first goal at the tournament since 1998, pull out his ‘goggles’ celebration after his deflected shot flew into the back of the net.

McGinn, who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League, dedicates all of his goals to his nephew, Jack, who has to play football in prescription sports ‘goggles’ due to poor eyesight.

“It was, ironically, for the last major tournament, when I didn’t score,” McGinn told ITV Football before Scotland’s first game at the World Cup. “But it was at a time when Jack was having serious discussions about his eyesight. It’s probably as strong a lens as you can get for a child. When he takes his glasses off, you can see how much he struggles.

“But just the reaction, not only from him, and allowing him to be more comfortable playing football with his pals. It’s more the awareness for young kids all around Scotland.”

Guillermo Ochoa

Here’s Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa, a true World Cup icon, signalling he’s heading to his sixth with Mexico.

At 40 years old, he’s not expected to feature much (if at all) this summer, but it was a win for World Cup lovers when he was named one of the back-ups to Raul Rangel in Javier Aguirre’s squad.

His outing in Mexico’s 0-0 draw with Brazil in 2014 was possibly the finest goalkeeping performance at that tournament. Exactly four years later, he arguably topped it, making an outstanding save to stop Toni Kroos from curling in a late equaliser in their 1-0 win over Germany.

Christian Pulisic

Born and raised in Hershey, Pennsylvania, 90 miles from Rocky Balboa’s hometown of Philadelphia, Christian Pulisic chose to serve up some eye-of-the-tiger goodness with his sleeve tattoo.

As the star of the USMNT, the expectation had been that Pulisic would need to show apex-predator levels of attacking potency if his side were to go far on home soil this summer. In the event, they have managed very well despite him playing just 45 minutes of their two wins because of a troublesome calf injury.

Matheus Cunha

Brazil always bring a special energy to the World Cup, and Matheus Cunha is one of this team’s resident vibesmen.

The floating forward had an impressive debut season for Manchester United, after joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5million ($83.7m) last summer, with fans at Old Trafford becoming accustomed to his trademark surfing celebration.

In an interview with American broadcaster NBC Sports, Cunha — exceptional in Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti on Friday — said he is a keen surfer and wanted to dedicate a celebration to his surfing friends back home in Brazil.

“I try to surf when I go to Brazil,” said Cunha. “I go to a little village around my city (Recife). They teach me how to surf. And, yeah, now I’m considered a surfer guy.”

Thiago Almada

“Here’s Thiago!”

Argentina and Atletico Madrid playmaker Thiago Almada might have taken some inspiration from Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining for this one — minus any of the menace.

Promise David

That said, if this image is anything to judge by, it seems Canada forward Promise David has enough menace to go around.

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