Documenting the real story of global football fandom

The World Cup inspires unparalleled global fandom, yet media coverage often focuses strictly on the pitch. For the competition, the goal was to showcase the magical nature of football by throwing a spotlight not on the millionaire players but on the people who bring the game to life: the fans.

Working with creatives, influencers, and senior Nike stakeholders in Milan and across Europe, the team created a branded photojournalism project called Fever Pitch. This took the form of a reactive, daily image feed and supporting editorial content designed to document the other side of the beautiful game.

Photo Editor Lauren Ford sourced a roster of brilliant image-makers in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Paris, Tokyo, Rome, and London. Working closely with Editor Thomas Gorton, we built a real-time visual document of the tournament.

Fever Pitch became a massive undertaking featuring sixteen photographers across six cities, capturing millions of football obsessives. Whether it was Brazilians playing football on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Japanese fans glued to the windows of TV stores, or East Enders in London crying into their pints, we captured unique moments that helped build Nike FC's brand awareness.

The web project then got turned into a collectible magazine and exhibition in Rio.