The political and industrial functions of photography in representation of football

Football, spreading from second half of 19th century?s England to the different geographies of world, has become the most popular sport of our present time. In its history we observe that football has not only come to the meaning of game or sport but also it has created a space for masses to respond their sense of identity and to express themselves politically. Moreover, people?s devotion to football in worldwide emerges explicitly if it?s taken into consideration that about three billion spectators followed 2006 World Cup. Thus, in this context football is a subject which must be evaluated both its social aspects and its representations in mass communications providing it to reach masses.Faced with the intervention of politics only just preceding the standardization of rules, football game was discovered by capital owners from the beginning of 1970s and took a part in advertising and determining masses? consuming patterns. Being held as a social phenomenon by distinguished photography agencies and photographers in a documentary style, football is also represented as a news photo in newspapers mostly with the shots which show happening moment. On the other hand, due to the needs of capital relations photos of teams and footballers occupy significantly in mass media with a view to sponsorship, advertisement and publicity.The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between photography and football in both sides and to show photographic representations of football via Turkish National Football Team in case of 2002 World Cup and 2008 European Championship.