After coach Tuchel’s complaint… FIFA amends the regulations for photographers in the World Cup sports

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) responded to the criticism of the England national team coach, Thomas Tuchel, and decided to amend the instructions regarding the positioning of photographers during the pre-match ceremonies in the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel had expressed his extreme annoyance before the England-Croatia match in Dallas, after he found himself surrounded by a large number of photographers during the playing of the national anthem, which prevented him from seeing his players and enjoying the moment, which he described as “very special.”

The German coach said after the match: “I ask FIFA to change the location of the photographers, because I was not able to see my team during the national anthem. I was waiting for this moment, but the presence of dozens of photographers just half a meter away from me spoiled part of the experience.”

Following these statements, FIFA issued new directives that give national team coaches and members of their technical staff the option of standing to the right or left of the photographers during the pre-match ceremony, instead of staying directly in front of them, in order to ensure a clear view of the players during the playing of the national anthem.

The problem was particularly evident in Dallas Stadium, where the pitch was raised by more than a meter to meet the requirements of the World Cup, which reduced the distance between the bench and the touchline, and put coaches and photographers in a very narrow space.

Although the photographers were standing in their designated places according to the regulations, FIFA recognized the necessity of finding a practical solution, so that the new instructions would actually be implemented during the match between the Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta.

Under the new procedures, teams will have to inform tournament officials in advance of where the coach prefers to stand during the pre-match ceremony, during the organizational meeting that precedes each match.