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For four decades, Mark J. Terrill has built a legendary career capturing some of sports’ most unforgettable moments, and his work at the 2022 FIFA World Cup offered another example of how innovative camera work can redefine sports photography.

Terrill’s journey in photojournalism began unexpectedly early: at just 16 years old, 44 years ago, he started out as a freelance contributor primarily for the Associated Press. While studying photojournalism in college, he began experimenting with sports photography and remote-triggered camera setups, and quickly developed a lifelong passion for the craft. He went on to join AP as a full-time staff photographer in 1997.

In a breakdown of one of his standout World Cup shots — capturing New Zealand forward Elijah Just scoring against Iran — Terrill explained the creative logic behind the image that sets it apart from typical match photography.

“One of the primary goals (no pun intended) of a photographer is to make a different photograph,” Terrill explained. “Different in the sense that your competition doesn’t have it and that the audience hasn’t seen it before. One of the ways to do this is with remotely triggered cameras. They not only allow you to be in more than one place at a time but it also allows you to be in positions where you can’t physically be.”

The unique vantage point of this shot, which gives viewers a one-of-a-kind overhead look at the goal-mouth action, would have been impossible for Terrill to capture in person from his spot on the pitch sideline. To pull off the shot, he installed a total of four remote cameras along the overhead catwalk of Los Angeles Stadium (now SoFi Stadium), where the match was held: one positioned behind each goal, and another angled toward each goal from the side. Two additional remote cameras were placed behind the goal where Just scored, all synced to radio transceivers that let Terrill trigger the shutters himself from his on-pitch press position.

Terrill noted that the finished image checks every box for a standout soccer photograph. It clearly captures all the key narrative elements of a goal: Just in the act of scoring, the Iran goalkeeper failing to make the save, and defending players reacting to the play in the background. It also benefits from a clean, uncluttered backdrop that keeps the focus firmly on the high-stakes action, rather than distracting from the moment.

This behind-the-scenes look at Terrill’s process offers a rare glimpse into the technical skill and creative planning that goes into capturing iconic sports imagery on the world’s biggest stage.

DALLAS (AP) — An unlikely rise to global fame has earned a little-known New Zealand soccer defender a once-in-a-lifetime career move: 38-year-old Tim Payne, who went from relative obscurity to international social media celebrity in the span of weeks, is set to leave his current club Wellington Phoenix to join Olimpia, the defending Paraguayan top-flight champion and one of South America’s most storied soccer institutions.

The details of the impending transfer were confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday by an insider close to the negotiation process, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Olimpia has not yet scheduled an official public announcement of the signing. The source also declined to disclose the financial terms of Payne’s upcoming contract with the club.

Payne’s explosive leap into the global spotlight traces back to a viral social media campaign launched by Argentine influencer El Scarso. The content creator set out to find the most low-profile player at this year’s FIFA World Cup, settling on Payne due to his tiny pre-tournament social media following. El Scarso called on his own followers to band together to turn the little-known New Zealander into a household name, and the campaign quickly caught fire across platforms.

In the weeks following the campaign’s launch, Payne’s Instagram follower count skyrocketed from just under 5,000 to more than 5.8 million, a more than 1,000-fold increase that captured the attention of clubs across the globe. The outpouring of support for Payne has even spawned an original fan song in Spanish, whose chorus declares devotion to the defender: “I’ve got his back. I cheer him on. I’ve been rooting for him from the beginning. Tim Payne, from cradle to grave. You’re a crack. I cheer you on, every step.” The track also leans into a playful pun on Payne’s name, closing with the line “no Payne, no gain.”

Payne got the chance to show his on-pitch skills to his new global fan base earlier this week, starting in New Zealand’s opening Group G match against Iran that ended in a 2-2 draw on Monday. The All Whites, New Zealand’s men’s national soccer team, are still chasing their first ever World Cup win across three tournament appearances.

Two decades have passed since Tim Cahill etched one of the most recognizable celebrations in Australian soccer history into global memory. During the opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Japan, Cahill scored a dramatic late equalizer to turn the tide of the game, which ultimately ended in a 3-1 Australian victory. Immediately after the ball hit the back of the net, the forward sprinted to the corner of the pitch and launched into a playful shadow boxing routine against the corner flag. What began as an impulsive moment of joy has grown into a beloved generational tradition for Australian soccer at the World Cup.

Months after Cahill hung up his boots in 2019, another Australian star carried the tradition onto one of the sport’s biggest stages. At the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, during a critical group stage match against Italy, Sam Kerr — then a rising talent making her mark on international soccer — recreated Cahill’s iconic shadow boxing routine to celebrate one of her goals. The moment paid homage to Cahill’s legacy while signaling the continuity of the tradition across Australia’s men’s and women’s national programs.

Kerr would go on to rewrite the Australian soccer record books: in 2022, she surpassed Cahill to become the country’s all-time leading international goalscorer, and she led the national women’s side, the Matildas, to a historic semifinal finish at the 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Now, the tradition has passed to a new generation of Australian talent, with 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda adding his own name to the lineage.

On Saturday night, Irankunda made history for Australia’s men’s national team, the Socceroos, during their 2-0 upset win over Turkey. The young winger became the youngest goalscorer in Australian World Cup history, and he marked the milestone by paying direct tribute to the man who inspired his soccer journey from childhood. Just like Cahill 20 years earlier, Irankunda sprinted straight to the nearest corner flag after his goal, throwing a rapid series of punches in a perfect recreation of the iconic celebration that first made the routine famous.

Unlike his predecessors, Irankunda has already cultivated his own unique set of trademark goal celebrations, from acrobatic backflips to playful Michael Jackson-inspired dance moves that have become a defining part of his on-pitch persona. Even so, the young star made clear that Cahill has been the biggest influence on his career to date.

“Tim Cahill was my biggest inspiration in Australian football, and I look up to him,” Irankunda told reporters after the match when asked about his decision to replicate the celebration. “I look up to him and I want to be like him one day and I’m really really proud of myself to get the goal.”

Like many young Australian soccer talents, Irankunda launched his professional career domestically, spending three seasons competing in the A-League with Adelaide United before earning a move to European soccer. In 2025, he completed a permanent transfer to English Championship club Watford, where he is continuing to develop his game ahead of future international and club competitions.