One Extraordinary Photo: Messi and Kane hug after World Cup semifinal

By: Erik Lesser, The Associated Press Posted: 2:18 PM CDT Thursday, Jul. 16, 2026

ATLANTA (AP) — Erik Lesser is an Atlanta-based freelance photographer with 40 years of professional experience covering sports, politics, breaking news and features. This is his first World Cup working for The Associated Press.

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Why this photo

I was following Lionel Messi as he left the main Argentina celebrations and was approaching a group of disappointed England players closer to my position. I was hopeful there would be an interaction with England captain Harry Kane. Of course, both players are global soccer stars, so capturing them together at the end of the match was important.

Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) and England's Harry Kane (9) hug after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

How I made this photo

This was shot with my main camera, which I was using with a 100-300 2.8 lens with a 1.4 converter. That gave me the extra reach to capture these moments but it also meant I was not over-lensed if something happened closer to me.

Why it works

This image shows the genuine respect the pair have for each other. While one can see the disappointment in Kane’s body language, Messi is not gloating and acts like a gentleman. It’s almost like Kane is saying “you beat us fair and square.” Being able to see both of their faces and have a clean background was fortunate as well.