Annie Leibovitz, Photographer of Soccer Stars and World Cups, Inaugurates Exhibition in Mexico

Acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz has opened an exhibition in Mexico City, presenting her extensive body of work related to football and the World Cup. The exhibition, titled 'Football 2026. Annie Leibovitz,' is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology and will be accessible to the public starting June 9. It features Leibovitz's iconic photographs from the 1986 World Cup, which was also hosted by Mexico, alongside new portraits of current football stars. The exhibition coincides with the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with its opening ceremony scheduled for June 11 in Mexico City. Leibovitz noted that the context of the 2026 World Cup is significantly different from that of 1986. "Back then, I did posters in the various venues Mexico hosted the World Cup. It was an incredible experience for a young woman to travel to this country," she recalled, referring to her work creating 13 photographs based on themes of man, ball, and earth, set against backdrops like the Chichen Itza archaeological site. Forty years later, Leibovitz returns as a guest of Fundación Televisa, in partnership with Fundación Coppel and Fundación Diez Morodo, to capture the spirit of the 2026 tournament. "Forty years have passed, and I have become more interested in people and portraits, and when I entered the game this time, I really started thinking about the players; I wanted to capture them on the field. I mean, they are heroes, they are brothers-in-arms, poets, an incredible set of human beings," she stated. Her new series includes portraits of David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Christian Pulisic, and female players like Alex Morgan and Montserrat Saldívar, as well as Mexican national team members such as Guillermo Ochoa. Leibovitz indicated that this project is still in its early stages, as she aims to photograph more players. The exhibition also incorporates a hundred portraits spanning 50 years of her career and a dialogue with ancient Mesoamerican ballplayers through archaeological pieces related to the ritual.

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The agenda of the 2026 World Cup, which will have its inauguration on June 11 in Mexico City, will be totally different from that of 1986.