On November 11, 2025, I photographed my first football match, which earned me the opportunity to cover a UEFA Women’s Champions League clash between Real Madrid Femenino and Paris FC. I was provided with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II by the university, an exceptional camera, and this was my first experience working with it, particularly with a lens of that size.
I gained valuable experience this night, and it was genuinely something I really enjoyed and can’t wait to do again!
Below are some pictures I took during this match. *please note that these photos are unedited*
After reflecting on my own experience in football media, I want to highlight my good friend Caroline Candeloro’s journey as a woman engaging with the sport through tryouts on November 14, 2025, for volunteering for FIFA. With Toronto set to host matches during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, opportunities like these play a crucial role in shaping the volunteer community behind one of the world’s largest sporting events. Her participation in the FIFA volunteer tryouts offered an early glimpse into the scale, excitement, and collaboration required to bring the World Cup to life. I have asked her to discuss more of her experience with me.
The FIFA volunteer tryout was an exciting and interactive event where I got to meet professionals, volunteers and many passionate soccer fans. The tryouts created an environment to make us excited and motivated to be a volunteer. We were given the opportunity to showcase our teamwork skills and passion for soccer through different team-building activities such as a foosball tournament, team chants, and games. One game included reordering past World Cup soccer balls in the correct order from oldest to most recent. We were also given the opportunity to learn about the history of FIFA volunteers, fun facts about past World Cups, and were given information on what a typical FIFA volunteer would do during a shift. The entire experience was built to get us excited for what’s to come and give us a glimpse of the FIFA volunteer community. The last part of the event was a one-on-one conducted interview, where I got the chance to talk about my interests, goals, and hopes for what being a FIFA volunteer can bring me. The way event was an experience I’ll remember and I felt lucky that I was given the opportunity to take part in this once in a life time event.
I’m excited to see where this opportunity may lead for Caroline, and hopeful she will be selected to volunteer at matches hosted in Canada. Below are some photos she provided for me to share.
Moments like these are why I’m drawn to sports media. Being on the sideline with a camera in hand reminded me how much I enjoy capturing the game in real time. I’m excited to continue improving as a photographer, to learn through every opportunity, and to tell the stories that live beyond the final whistle.
See you in the next post.