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.
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.
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.
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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Norway's Erling Haaland (9) shoots and scores their first goal while defended by Brazil's Gabriel Magalhaes (3) during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Spain broke a World Cup record with its sixth consecutive clean sheet and goalkeeper Unai Simón extended his record shutout streak to 609 minutes in Monday's 1-0 win over Portugal.
Spain broke a tie with Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006-10) for the most consecutive World Cup matches without allowing a goal. Spain’s streak began with a 0-0 draw in the round of 16 in 2022, when Morocco advanced after a penalty shootout.
There was also a surprising scoreless draw against Cape Verde to open group play in this tournament, followed by four consecutive shutout victories to advance to the quarterfinals.
Simón surpassed the previous record of 517 consecutive scoreless minutes during a 3-0 blanking of Austria to open the knockout round Thursday. Famed Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga set the standard in 1990 with five consecutive clean sheets in his home World Cup.
Simón's shutout streak started in 2022 in Qatar during a 2-1 loss to Japan to wrap up group play.
He came into the Portugal game having made only four saves in this World Cup — Austria had no shots on target — and on Monday in at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Simón had to make two saves in the first half against Portugal, both on shots by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The second of those saves was an impressive diving stop, when he was still in midair after reaching back to grab the ball with both hands. Ronaldo took that shot after teammate João Félix's header went off the shoulder of the 29-year-old Athletic Bilbao keeper.
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Spain's Unai Simón, left, grabs the ball past Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
Spain's Unai Simón (23) blocks a shot by Portugal as Aymeric Laporte (14) looks on during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon (23) saves the ball during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
