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SportsL'Équipe: Behind the winning photo 'Olise's (almost) masterpiece' from 2026 World Cup
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This article from L'Équipe details the story behind the winning photograph of the 2026 World Cup, titled 'Olise's (almost) masterpiece.' The image, captured by photographer Pierre Lahalle during the Round of 16 match between France and Sweden (3-0) at MetLife Stadium, shows French player Michael Olise mid-air just before striking the ball. The photo won a reader vote with over 40% of the ballots. Lahalle used a Nikon Z9 with a 180-400mm lens at 250mm, set to f/4 aperture for background blur, 1/4000th second shutter speed to freeze motion, and ISO 1000 to handle stadium shadows. The composition follows the rule of thirds, with Olise centered and the advertising boards blending with Swedish players' kits. The article notes that if the ball had gone into the goal, the image might have achieved iconic status.
Source report
It is late afternoon at MetLife Stadium, during the Round of 16 World Cup match between France and Sweden (3-0). As is customary for French national team matches, two photographers share the field. That day, they are Pierre Lahalle and Stéphane Mantey.
Then, at the 35th minute of play, Michael Olise takes off — directly in front of Pierre's lens.
The Action Unfolds
We are in the middle of the action, a few tenths of a second before the French number eleven strikes the ball. Pierre, positioned on the attack of the Blues in the first half, is slightly off-center to the right of the Swedish goal. During this type of match, he focuses on the penalty area to miss nothing, but he always keeps an eye on the game. Everything happens in a fraction of a second. The moment he senses the ball arriving, he immediately aims at the player with his Nikon Z9.
Composition and Technique
For the composition, Pierre uses his 180–400 mm lens set at 250 mm. This plunges the viewer directly into the action while leaving enough space and context around the player. During a World Cup, he always favors a slightly wider framing to have more choices when exploiting the images.
The rule of thirds is respected:
- Michael Olise is horizontal, perfectly centered
- His gaze is fixed on the ball
- No player obscures him — everything is there
The aperture set at f/4 is crucial. It creates a blurred foreground and separates the main subject from the background. Through their colors, the advertising boards — usually so prominent in the image — blend here with the Swedish players' outfits.
The shutter speed set at 1/4000th of a second ideally freezes the motion. With a sensitivity at 1000 ISO, Pierre prioritizes highlights to ensure correct exposure of Olise despite the shadows of MetLife Stadium.
A Matter of Centimeters
Sometimes, photography is technically mastered, the positioning is ideal, everything aligns. But, for a few centimeters, the fate of an image can take a different turn. If the ball had gone in, this shot would undoubtedly have had a very different exposure — perhaps elevating it to iconic status.
Source
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Part of this Story
Behind the Scenes of the Winning Photo from the 2026 World Cup