Insane Sports Photo Captures the Exact Moment Ball Strikes Soccer Player in the Face

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A soccer player in black kicks the ball as two West Ham players in maroon attempt to block, with one taking the ball to the face. The stadium is full of spectators in the background.

A Premier League soccer photographer captured the split-second moment Manchester City striker Erling Haaland blasted a ball into an opponent’s face.

The incredible shot, which has been receiving plenty of attention online, shows the ball wrapped around West Ham player Konstantinos Mavropanos’s face during a game in London on Saturday.

The photograph, taken by freelancer Dave Shopland, not only captures Mavropanos’s unfortunate moment but also the athletic stance Haaland took to fire the ball so powerfully. It also captures the concerned reaction of Mavropanos’s teammate, Tomas Soucek, as he looks on.

A soccer player in black kicks the ball while players in maroon and white jerseys attempt to block during a match, with a crowded stadium in the background.

Mavropanos was knocked down by Haaland’s ferocious hit and the referee temporarily halted the game so medics could check to see if the Greek footballer was okay. After a brief spell on the sidelines being checked over by West Ham’s medical team, Mavropanos rejoined play, despite clearly being shaken.

Shopland must have taken the photo at an extremely fast shutter speed, probably on burst mode, because it is exceptionally rare to see a ball temporarily deflated like that. The Athletic calls it an “incredible image that felt almost like it could have been generated by AI.”

Ouch! This must have hurt! Haaland smashes right on the face of Konstantinos Mavropanos #WHIMCI pic.twitter.com/IPq82CKsoh

— The Final Whistle (@Rufus_45) March 14, 2026

Soccer fans hailed Mavropanos for his bravery. Not only was it a vital block late in the game as his team held on for a valuable draw, but the intrepid Greek had also scored for West Ham earlier on in the game.

“It was a great performance from him,” his teammate Soucek tells The Athletic. “It’s really important that we all go for every tackle like this. We have to be like that and fight for our lives. Dinos is a strong guy, so he can manage it. It’s great and he’s so happy he blocked the shot because it could’ve been a goal.”

Image credits: Photograph by Dave Shopland / Associated Press

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