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Tuchel’s view blocked
England head coach Thomas Tuchel pressed FIFA to change photographer positioning after he said he “could not see my team” during the national anthem before England’s 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“England head coach Thomas Tuchel has won a battle with Fifa to get photographers moved away from the bench during the national anthems”
Tuchel told reporters he was “standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers” and “could not see one single player,” describing the moment as “ruined a little bit” for him.
FIFA responded by altering its policy so photographers may be grouped in a huddle, potentially closer to the halfway line, while coaching staff are permitted to move to the left or the right of the photographers for an unobstructed view.
The issue was tied to the stadium layout, with the AT&T Stadium normally serving as the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL field too small for World Cup matches, requiring the surface to be raised 1.2m to fit a football pitch.
FIFA first deployed the new approach during Thursday’s Group A fixture between Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta, according to the BBC.
FIFA compromise takes effect
Tuchel’s complaint quickly gained traction after he said he was “begging FIFA to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem,” because he “could not see my team,” with the BBC describing a wall of photographers blocking his view to the pitch.
The BBC reported that FIFA put in place a compromise used at other tournaments, with photographers grouped in a huddle and coaching staff no longer required to remain in front of the dugouts.
In Dallas, the Group L game was Tuchel’s first as a World Cup manager, and the BBC said the occasion—especially the emotion of the national anthems—was “spoiled.”
The BBC also said it was unclear if FIFA’s changes would assuage Tuchel’s concerns, adding that BBC Sport understood the Football Association was still awaiting discussions with football’s world governing body over the issue.
Meanwhile, Tuchel’s remarks were framed by talkSPORT as a “begging” that prompted “immediate FIFA action,” with the outlet saying coaches would be moved further down the touchline for the pre-match scene.
Next matches and protocol
The revised anthem protocol was described as applying across World Cup venues, with photographers grouped closer to the halfway line while coaches can position themselves to the left or right to keep an unobstructed view.
“Thomas Tuchel crashout forces FIFA to change World Cup anthem protocol Thomas Tuchel's complaint about blocked views during the national anthem prompted FIFA to reposition photographers at World Cup 2026 venues”
India Today said the change followed England’s win over Croatia in Dallas and would be adopted across all World Cup venues after being first implemented during Thursday’s Group A match between the Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta.
The BBC tied the need for the compromise to the AT&T Stadium’s modifications for the tournament, noting the surface had to be raised 1.2m and that this meant part of the sidelines was lost, limiting space for coaches and photographers during the national anthems.
England’s remaining Group L games were listed as against Ghana on Tuesday and Panama four days later, with the BBC and other outlets placing the next test of the updated arrangement in the run-up to those matches.
In the same coverage, Tuchel’s stance toward the anthem itself remained cautious, with talkSPORT quoting him saying, “I think we are not there yet. At the very end [of the tournament], maybe.”
