‘I was at Mexico ‘86 – you could sense the history’: Meet the photographer who took most-liked Instagram photo ever

It feels like something of a contradiction for a professional photographer not to be on the world’s most-popular photo-sharing platform, but it was actually a few days after the moment had passed before Shaun Botterill was told of the significance of a simple push of his finger. Stationed at the end of the Lusail Stadium packed with Argentina supporters at the 2022 World Cup final, Lionel Messi has just led his country to world football’s most prestigious prize and claimed the piece of silverware he has most desired. A jigsaw has its final piece, the trophy has been lifted and Messi, with a smile as wide as Qatar itself, is making his way over to Argentina’s euphoric fanbase. The photograph of a joyous Diego Maradona holding the trophy aloft at the Azteca Stadium in 1986, with the row of national flags hanging in the background, stands in footballing folklore. Now, it’s Messi’s turn. And Getty photographer Botterill, by hook or by crook, is in prime position. Lionel Messi holds aloft the World Cup trophy - this photo became the most-liked Instagram photo of all time (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Botterill first photographed Messi playing for his country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Getty Images) "There are probably 200 photographers at a World Cup final, so the chances of being in exactly the right place are pretty small,” Botterill tells The Independent . “Then Messi suddenly appeared about two metres in front of me and I just couldn't believe it. "The moment he smiled, I knew. He's not someone who smiles much on the pitch, so when he did, you realised you'd witnessed something really special. We had a plan for where we thought he might come, but after that it's just luck. Sometimes photography really is about being in exactly the right place at exactly the right moment." The photo was instantly wired through Getty’s software feeds and sent to their hundreds of clients. But, significantly, Messi then posted the image himself. Standing at 76.5 million likes , it is the most-liked post ever on Instagram . “I landed, switched my phone on, and someone had messaged saying, 'Your picture's become a bit popular’ – it was all a bit surreal,” he says. “As a kid, my dream wasn't Instagram. That's not how my brain was wired.” Qatar was Botterill’s eighth World Cup, a journey which started in the administrative Getty Images office in Mexico City forty years ago. Just 18 years of age, Botterill did not actually snap at any matches, but he did tour the Azteca Stadium on a non-matchday. Even with its empty eerieness, its almost mythological status was palpable. "I was only 18, and you don't quite believe you're there,” he says. “I'd only been on a plane once before, and suddenly I was in Mexico at the World Cup. It felt like the whole world had opened up in front of me. "Certain stadiums just have a feel about them. The Azteca is iconic. It's one of those places where you can sense the history the moment you walk in.” More on that later. After Mexico 86’, like anyone entering the competitive world of sports media, Botterill did his groundwork, photographing in far-flung places. One memorable event was the cauldron of a World Cup qualifier in Santiago, Chile. “It was terrifying,” he recalls. “After the match, there was a riot and we ended up on the centre circle with the players while fans ripped up the seats. But when you're young, everything feels like an adventure." Then, at USA ‘94, came his first World Cup final, a largely dreary match between Brazil and Italy at California’s Rose Bowl which ended with Roberto Baggio’s shoot-out penalty heading for the stars. The glory of the triumph, the pain of the defeat, were all captured in one Botterill photo, as Brazil keeper Claudio Taffarel knelt and pointed to the sky aloft, with a crestfallen Baggio staring despairingly into the ground. Brazil goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel celebrates after Roberto Baggio of Italy missed his penalty in the 1994 World Cup final (Getty Images/Shaun Botterill) Yet in the last few decades, the nature of taking photographs at football matches has changed dramatically. Back in the 1990s, there was significant pressure on photographers to capture the perfect shot with a limited amount of film. Now, given technology which sends photos instantaneously to millions worldwide, there is more leeway. "Film made you think differently,” he explains. “Every frame had a cost and every roll eventually ran out. If something happened on frame 32 and you only had four left, that was it. “Now, we're photographing a lot of stuff that we need to deliver because it's relevant to the match. With film, you had to think and wait for the moment.” The process may have changed but the practice has not, nor has the sensation of being amongst the masses at the greatest show on earth every four years. Germany 2006 is Botterill’s favourite World Cup – “the fan parks were incredible and digital photography had really come of age” – while a particularly memorable experience came when taking Andrea Pirlo’s pre-tournament portrait ahead of the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Andrea Pirlo's portrait prior to the 2014 World Cup (FIFA via Getty Images) Botterill's photo of four France fans at the 2006 World Cup (Getty Images) "Pirlo was exactly how you'd hope he'd be,” he says. “He had a brilliant face to photograph, and after three or four frames you knew you'd got it. Then the Italian staff invited us in for coffee and cake. Those are the moments you remember." And such is this year’s World Cup taking place across three countries, including Mexico, Botterill could not miss out on the opportunity to actually sample a match at the Azteca. While stationed in New York across these five weeks, positioned at games in New Jersey and also managing Getty’s 200 photographers working across North America, the 58-year-old darted to Mexico City for the opening game against South Africa last month. Even for Botterill, who has seen it all across his four decades in sports photography, the atmosphere, the allure and the standing of the World Cup’s most iconic venue was something to behold. "It hasn't really changed. It's been modernised a little, but it's still unmistakably the Azteca,” he says. “You walk in and immediately recognise it – that feeling is still there. England face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday (Getty) "The light there is incredible. Photographing in that light was probably the nicest surprise because it's beautiful, but it's also really challenging to work in. The Mexican fans make it even more special – it's busy, loud and so much fun." That is what awaits England’s players and fans on Sunday in their last-16 showdown against 11 Mexican players and 87,000 fans cheering them on. And to this day, perhaps more so than any television broadcast or social media stream, the power of the photograph will depict the sense of occasion, the range of emotions and colour, better than any other visual medium.