EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Pamela Smith is an AP freelance photojournalist based near New York. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2024, she interned with The Associated Press and has been working as a full time freelancer since then. Last year Smith covered the Club World Cup in New Jersey for AP. This is her first World Cup assignment.

Why this photo

When Erling Haaland stepped into the spotlight in the Norway and Brazil showdown, the teams had played to a scoreless tie. So I was paying extra attention to all goal attempts, leaning as far as I could from my corner position anticipating the first goal of the match as players approached. As soon as I saw Haaland jump with the ball flying through the air, I held my shutter down. I was very lucky I got this image, as other players ran into my frame and blocked my view soon after. After Haaland scored, I pulled out my wide lens and shot Norway’s celebration, which also happened in my corner. Haaland went on to score and celebrate in my corner again.

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How I made this photo

I was shooting on a Canon 1DX mark III, with a 200-400 lens. My second body was also a 1DX III with a 24-70. I had both cameras plugged into the server with Ethernet connections so I was able to transmit images as soon as I saw a goal was scored. I enjoyed photographing this match, which was filled with non-stop action even though it was a challenge for the teams to score.

Why this photo works

Despite the heat and humidity on the pitch, it is very important to be focused on any goal opportunities at this stage in the match. This photo captures the timing and effort it took for either team to score with goals so hard to come by in the game.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here