World Cup 2014: 25 of the best photos from Brazil
Our sports picture editor rounds up the highlights from the tournament in Brazil and explains why these photographs stood out from the 250,000 shots we've received over the past month
• Check out 25 of the best World Cup photos of all time
• Check out 25 of the best World Cup photos of all time
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James Rodríguez's volley for Colombia against Uruguay was arguably the goal of the tournament and this vibrant photo neatly captures the drama of it. I like the pose of the keeper, mid-air, desperately cocking his head backwards to see the ball drop into the net, and the way the outfield players are all entirely static but for Rodríguez (thereby drawing your eye to him). There were plenty of great shots of the moment he connected with the ball, but there's something about seeing his awesome strike drop over the line which seems more exciting
Photograph: Mike Hewitt - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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A World Cup in Brazil was always going to mean one thing: colour. This shot makes the most of it, exploiting the divide between the two sets of fans from Brazil and Mexico during their group encounter. It's a simple, long-lens shot made by a photographer who knew the value in turning his attention away from the pitch
Photograph: Sipa USA/REX/Rex Features
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Yacine Brahimi of Algeria was very nearly dispossessed of his shorts by Philipp Lahm of Germany during their last-16 match. I like the outrageous nature of the foul and the fact that all we can see of Lahm is his grasping hand. It smacks of desperation
Photograph: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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This is a fantastic, offbeat picture of dejection. It conveys the disappointment of being knocked out of the World Cup just as effectively as the more familiar photos of players sinking to their knees and wiping away tears. It's a shot of Vincent Kompany heading back to the changing rooms after Belgium's 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Argentina at Estadio Nacional. The weathered concrete steps add considerable bleakness to the image
Photograph: Mike Hewitt - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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Lionel Messi's second-half goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the group stages was a delight to watch. The calamity behind him in this photograph is the sole reason for selecting it, but that's reason enough in my book. It just sums up the goal perfectly and, more than that, is conveys Messi's ability to embarrass defenders
Photograph: RICARDO MORAES/REUTERS
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Using a fisheye lens, Julian Finney has created this very effective shot from the bowels of the reconstructed Maracanã stadium. The lighting in the venue is wonderful; it's there to be played with. The resulting image reminds me of a coronet
Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
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The crop makes this image intriguing. Admittedly it's hard to know quite how much it was cropped in post-production, but the effect is great. Bacary Sagna of France looks like he's about to be poleaxed by an Ecuador player, though it could just be an optical illusion. It makes me think of the photograph of Nigel de Jong crashing his studs into the chest of Xabi Alonso during the 2010 World Cup final
Photograph: MARCELO SAYAO/EPA
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Despite all the pictures of Brazilans in tears during their 7-1 humiliation to Germany, pictures which could easily have made the cut here, I still couldn't overlook this image from the group stages. The mirroring of the two fans is critical and the transfixed expression on the face of the woman in the foreground says much about the hopes and fears of Braziian football supporters. There's so much detail in this picture, particularly in her face and hands, it's almost hyper-real
Photograph: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP
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As a picture editor, you're always hoping that one or two of the photographers will try something creative, something that breaks the mould. This shot by Alexander Hassenstein uses the reflections from glass screens inside the stadium to playful effect. It has no use in day-to-day news coverage of the tournament, but it's the type of shot that could be useful for illustrating feature-based content
Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA via Getty Images
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Arjen Robben's histrionics against Mexico in their last-16 encounter would have you believe he's been whacked around the back of the head with a shovel. Behind him, Rafael Márquez pleads his innocence, but replays showed there was some contact between the two players. Enough for a penalty? Perhaps not. Either way, Robben's swan-dive is caught nicely in this photograph
Photograph: KOEN VAN WEEL/EPA
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A quirk of fortune, perhaps, or maybe the photographer saw the opportunity coming given the lighting conditions at the Brasília national stadium. Either way, it looks like Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri is chasing shadows
Photograph: DAVID GRAY/REUTERS
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Nigeria's goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was beaten by a curling free-kick from Argentina's Lionel Messi during their group match. But I preferred this photograph of the pair sharing a joke because it's characterful
Photograph: Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport
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David Luiz went berserk after scoring a fine free-kick against Colombia in the quarter-finals. There were plenty of great options to choose from and it was something of a gimme for our front page – and for pretty much every other newspaper's front/back page – the following morning. The Brazilian's facial expression was particularly demonic in this shot, and the fact that he is running straight at the camera makes it all the more impactful
Photograph: VANDERLEI ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images
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Another stunning goal and thankfully this action photo does it justice. This time it's Robin van Persie of Holland scoring a diving header in their 5-1 rout of Spain. The timing of the shot is perfect, capturing the flight of both the player and ball close to their apexes, while the aerial vantage point affords the shot its overall simplicity. But what's quite critical here is a minor detail: the penalty spot in the bottom corner of the photograph. It hints at the outrageous distance from which Van Persie scored (similar shots by rival snappers lack that telling detail)
Photograph: Jeff Gross/Getty Images
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This Adidas advert of Luis Suárez baring his teeth became something of a fans' favourite in Rio de Janeiro after he bit Giorgio Chiellini when Uruguay played Italy. Our photographer, Tom Jenkins, was quick to spot the trend of people posing in front of it, and, after we published a gallery of his shots, the whole thing seemed to snowball. Suddenly everyone was turning up at the advert wanting to be mauled by Suárez. I've chosen it in my top 25 not because this example is necessarily the best, but because I like how the original photograph mutated into something bigger – a shared photographic experiencePhotograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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Whether or not this was a foul, I think it's fair to assume the landing hurt. It's a picture of Russia's Alexander Samedov in free-fall above South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng and is a rather dynamic action photo
Photograph: DAVID GRAY/REUTERS
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I'm not overly keen on what we call two-men-and-a-ball photographs, but this example of Germany's Toni Kroos vying for a header with Portugal's João Moutinho is another fine one. Funny what a few shimmering water droplets can do
Photograph: MARCOS BRINDICCI/REUTERS
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Javier Mascherano's expression made this photograph leap out. The whites of his eyes are frightening. Definitely not a player to mess with
Photograph: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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I wasn't particularly taken with this photograph when I first saw it – my initial complaints were that James Rodríguez, the scorer, wasn't centre stage, and that the TV screen in the background slightly spoiled the overall lighting. Later on, I began to better appreciate it on account of the colour and, of course, the repetition of the pose
Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images South America
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Speaking of repetition of pose, this example is even better. It's Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder of Holland celebrating a goal against Spain as the Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas looks forlornly at the turf. The balance of the composition here is lovely, and the combination of the Dutch players' respective poses resembles a bird taking off. It's certainly one of my top two or three photographs from the World Cup
Photograph: FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
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We've been utterly swamped with Neymar photographs. His goal celebration in the opening fixture was particularly emotive and the overhead shot of him being stretchered off against Colombia – his hand shielding his face – was another cracker. But I like this one because it's not what you immediately think it is; this is Neymar collapsing to the turf in celebration. Given the pressure he was under to lead his nation to success, it is perhaps unsurprising that he reacted to the penalty shoot-out win over Chile in this way. But at the time it seemed quite remarkable. He (and his team-mates) looked emotionally broken, even in victory
Photograph: FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP
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This is another emotive shot, this time of James Rodríguez in tears, with David Luiz signalling that the player of the tournament was in need of counsel from his fans. It's the sort of thing you'd expect a big brother to do
Photograph: MARCELO DEL POZO/REUTERS
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This was the most sombre shot of an unforgettable night – it sums up the epic nature of Brazil's collapse against Germany in the semi-final. Several photographers shot the scoreboard at the end of the match for posterity, but Damir Sagolj opted for a wider angle lens than anyone else. In his image, above, the arcing lights draw you in to those improbable numbers: 1-7. But it's the framing that really makes this image work. The night's sky takes up a disproportionate amount of the image and, in doing so, Sagolj effectively suggests the result was bigger than just the events on the pitch. It was duly chosen as a front page image by several newspapers in Brazil the following morning
Photograph: DAMIR SAGOLJ/REUTERS
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Here's the exact moment Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli blew the final whistle to make Germany the winners of the World Cup. I like the juxtaposition of emotion, not just between the Germans and the Argentinians, but also among the Germans themselves. It's raw and chaotic. I find this more appealing than trophy-lift images which can be terribly stilted, particularly given the way they are staged by Fifa
Photograph: Chema Moya/EPA
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If I was to pick my favourite photograph from the World Cup, then, oddly, this might just be it. It's a shot of Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera celebrating with his goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa against Croatia at the Pernambuco Arena in Recife. Technically it's a country mile from being perfect: it's a tight crop of a much wider frame meaning the overall image-quality is poor, and the player behind Herrera is mildly distracting. But it doesn't matter. The child-like joy shown by Herrera overrides all of that, in my opinion. There's something comical about his facial expression and his hunched shoulders which elicits a smile every time I see it. I just think it's a brilliant moment and an apt reminder of a colourful World Cup
Photograph: DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images
