Stadium — World Cup, 1998 1

Two friends — a young person with short dark hair and warm brown skin, and a slim North African man with a short dark fade, thin gold chain, wearing a crisp white national team jersey tucked into navy tracksuit bottoms — both standing on their concrete seats in a World Cup stadium for a better view, faces painted with flag colors. The young person on tiptoes craning their neck, both hands gripping the seat-back in front. The North African man standing tall with one arm raised waving a small flag, the other hand on the young person's shoulder for balance. Below them, the match is in full swing — the pitch vivid green under the floodlights, tiny players running, the ball mid-flight. The crowd all around standing, a forest of raised arms and flags. Dusk sky deepening to purple above the stadium roof. Flash catches them from behind — someone in the row back took this photo. Heavy warm grain, slight magenta cast, their faces half-lit by floodlight from the pitch. Natural skin texture with subtle pores and micro-imperfections, organic asymmetry in features.