We all want to perform well on the big stage, and AP’s photo team did exactly that at the recent Women’s World Cup in France, a tournament that is being called the greatest edition yet of the sport’s most prestigious event.

AP’s photo coverage was strong from the outset of the 52-match marathon, with significant contributions during the month from photographers Laurent Cipriani, Thibault Camus and Michel Spingler. But it was the crew’s performance in the championship final that really stood out. Intelligent planning from Paris and London, and brilliant execution by specialist photographers and remote editors saw AP photos dominate play with their coverage of the 2-0 victory by the U.S.

A five-strong team of photographers – staffers Alessandra Tarantino, based in Rome; Francisco Seco, Brussels; and Francois Mori, Paris; joined by freelancers Vincent Michel and Claude Paris – won the day in a manner arguably even more decisive than the U.S. women. Each photographer had a dedicated remote editor assigned to ensure that images reached our customers in just minutes. Armando Franca in Lisbon, Petr Josek in Prague, Paris photo editor Bertrand Combaldieu, London-based photographer Frank Augstein and Darko Bandic in Zagreb all edited and transmitted remotely, playing a key role in the success.

Combo Horizontal 1024

First action images from the match moved within three minutes of the start of the game, and when the U.S. team lifted the trophy in celebration, those photos again hit the wire in under three minutes. In fact, from the start of the event all 52 matches were edited remotely, again a testament to outstanding planning.

Ap 19188633628877 Ss

United States teammates hold the trophy celebrating their Women's World Cup championship after the final match against the Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, July 7, 2019.

AP Photo / Francisco Seco

But this was not just about speed and numbers of photos; AP’s quality was outstanding, producing iconic images of now-household names Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and their teammates. The list of front pages is long and includes prestigious titles like The New York Times, L’Equipe, The Guardian, The Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.

For a performance that befitted the biggest stage in the world on July 7, the team of Tarantino, Seco, Mori, Michel and Paris – with international AP support – shares AP’s Best of the Week.