FIFA and Goal Click collaborated for a unique view of Uruguay 2018

Participants were given disposable analogue cameras

Each image tells a different story from the perspective of its subjects On 1 December last year, Spain beat Mexico 2-1 to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018. Over the course of the three-week tournament, FIFA partnered with Goal Click to tell the inside story of the competition, from the viewpoint of those taking part. All participants are equal, with the same disposable analogue camera and the same mission to show what football means to them. In Uruguay, three players from the Canadian team (Caitlin Shaw, Kaila Novak, Jessica De Filippo), referee instructor Etsuko Fukano (Japan), Getty Images photographer Maddie Meyer (USA) and International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Young Reporter Clara Rodriguez Merlo (Argentina) took photos and told their own stories. These are a snapshot. You can find more images and captions on Facebook today, too.

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THE GHOST OF MONTEVIDEO Photographer Maddie Meyer "Spain's U-20 team finished second in the summer in France. So in Uruguay, the U-17 team was very motivated to go one step better. After celebrating their win in the final against Mexico, there was a lot of emotion. They are clearly a very tight-knit group and are very comfortable in each other’s space. Even after the awards ceremony, the players spent almost an hour taking photos on their phones and posing for photographers with their new hardware. The identity of the dancer to the right of the picture, just in front of the team bench, is a mystery though!"

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RESPECT Journalist Clara Rodriguez Merlo "Of the 16 teams in the tournament, only five coaches were women. Two, took their teams to the final. The day before at a press conference, Maria Antonia Is (Spain) and Monica Vergara (Mexico) hugged and wished each other luck. A few days after defeating Korea Republic 4-0 in their first match, the Spanish coach said: ‘Little by little, women are creating a space for themselves in the world of football as players and coaches. To any woman who wants to be part of this, I tell them to keep calm and do what you love. If they want to be players or coaches, do it. At the end, you will get a reward.’ She certainly did, because two weeks later, she became a world champion. Women’s football is growing on the pitch, and on the benches."

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JUST DANCE Canada forward Jessica De Filippo "This group were very close during the tournament. We all loved a song that we usually played before games to get us motivated, and here we were all listening and dancing to it. It was the last day of the tournament, and at this point we had been away from home for over a month, and we were still so happy to be where we were. It shows how close we were as a team, and this connection translated to us being able to perform at our best on the field. Playing at a World Cup is incredible. It allows you as an individual to compare yourself to the best players around the world and as a result you grow and learn. I believe the future is bright for female athletes in general and if we continue to push barriers, we will continuously be recognised by others."

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