One Extraordinary Photo: France's Kylian Mbappe the center of attention of again

One extraordinary photo of Kylian Mbappé highlights the pressure of France’s World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco, with the match’s defining tension captured mid-pass. In Foxborough, Massachusetts, France’s forward is shown advancing the ball while two Morocco defenders close in from either side, as “underdogs” surround the favorite. The photographer, Associated Press staffer Stephanie Scarbrough, described shooting from her pitch-side position opposite the bench using a 400mm lens and a 1/4000-second shutter speed to freeze the instant Mbappé kicks. Morocco and France also share recent history, with Morocco recalling a prior World Cup meeting in Qatar four years earlier, when Morocco reached the semifinal before losing 2-0. The image’s symmetry in color and shape underscores the story of a team chasing history versus another aiming to keep it.