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Ricardo Rodriguez jumps over Lionel Messi at the 2014 World Cup in Sao Paulo. (KEYSTONE/Peter Klaunzer)
KEYSTONE
It’s an image that sticks in the memory: Ricardo Rodriguez catches the ball at a height of about two meters during the 2014 World Cup round of 16 match against Argentina—while Lionel Messi looks on in amazement. blue Sport spoke with the photographer about his iconic photo.
It is July 1, 2014. Switzerland and Argentina are locked in a heated battle at the World Cup in São Paulo, Brazil, for a spot in the quarterfinals. The Swiss national team isn’t just on par with the Argentines—at times, they even outplay Messi, Di María, and the rest of the team.
This is most vividly illustrated by a photo taken by Keystone photographer Peter Klaunzer. Ricardo Rodriguez’s acrobatic ball control would be a great snapshot on its own, but Klaunzer is positioned so well that Rodriguez’s outstretched left leg extends beyond Lionel Messi. The World Player of the Year watches the Swiss player with admiration as he controls the ball.
“I had a fixed spot. That was after a corner kick that Rici cleared. I didn’t even notice that Messi was standing in the background until I was editing the photos,” says Klaunzer, who, by the way, was once a good soccer player himself—and played 17 times for Liechtenstein’s national team.
Switzerland then lost the game in extra time. Angel Di Maria scored in the 118th minute—of all people, the then-Real Madrid star, who had barely seen the ball against Rodriguez up to that point. Rodriguez said at the time: “Messi is coming toward us with the ball at his feet. I have to cut inside to close him down, then he passes to Di Maria on the outside. Unfortunately, we know the rest.”
Zeki Amdouni's post has gone viral. "I'm going to play against Messi in a World Cup quarterfinal—now I can retire," the Swiss forward wrote after the victory over Colombia in a penalty shootout.
Of course, it’s meant as a joke—and yet it shows his great admiration for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. For Amdouni, it’s his first showdown with Messi; for Rodriguez and photographer Klaunzer, it’s practically a reunion with the “Magic Flea.” “I’m sitting in a similar spot as I did back then,” says Klaunzer, who hopes to capture another iconic photo—only this time, in this rematch, with a better outcome.
11.07.2026, 15:38
