Zeitgeist– World Cup Russia 2018

The 2018 FIFA World Cup marked football’s arrival in an increasingly connected and technology-driven age. Hosted across Russia, the tournament reached a global audience through an unprecedented mix of television, digital media and social platforms, while VAR was introduced to the World Cup for the first time.

For Russia 2018, DOT recreates the visual atmosphere of a tournament shaped by digital culture, strong national identities and a new relationship between sport and technology. The introduction of VAR became one of its defining moments, changing the way crucial decisions were experienced — not only by referees and players, but by millions watching around the world.

The tournament also produced an extraordinary underdog story. Croatia reached their first World Cup final after three consecutive knockout matches that went to extra time. In the semi-final against England, Mario Mandžukić scored the decisive goal, sending the team into the final — and sending the celebrating players crashing into photographer Yuri Cortez, who continued shooting from underneath the pile-up.

France ultimately defeated Croatia 4–2 in Moscow, with a 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé scoring in the final. For DOT, Russia 2018 becomes a snapshot of football at the threshold of a new era — where technology, digital imagery and the human drama of the game became inseparable.