Meet Assam’s Gitika Talukdar, The Only Indian Woman Selected To Cover 2026 FIFA World Cup

She stood alone in rooms filled with male photographers, carrying nothing but a camera and determination. People told her sports photography was not meant for women. At one point, a mob even smashed her camera, and another injury left her unable to walk for three months. But despite every setback, one woman from Assam refused to give up on her dream.

Today, Gitika Talukdar has become the only Indian female photojournalist officially selected by FIFA to cover the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup. This will be her third straight men’s World Cup assignment after covering the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar. Her achievement is being celebrated across Indian sports journalism.

Gitika Talukdar has built a strong name in international sports photography over nearly two decades. She has covered major global events including the 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cups, the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and the Paris Olympics 2024. Her repeated FIFA accreditation reflects her growing impact in the world of sports media.

Gitika Talukdar started her journey far away from India’s big media cities. She studied in Kendriya Vidyalayas across different places before pursuing Global Sports Management at Seoul National University. She completed the programme through a scholarship supported by South Korea’s Ministry of Sports and Culture.

The road was never easy for Gitika Talukdar. Relatives warned her mother about the risks of sports journalism, while many people openly questioned whether women belonged in the field. Yet she continued showing up at stadiums and sporting events around the world. Over the years, her work slowly broke barriers in an industry mostly dominated by men and large agencies.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and is expected to be the biggest edition in FIFA history with 48 national teams. For Gitika Talukdar, this assignment is more than another event. Her journey from Assam to football’s grandest stage has become an inspiring story of persistence and passion.