In the fast-paced world of sports journalism, the true excitement lies not just in the action on the field, but in the constant pursuit of the untold stories that lurk beneath the surface. For Sophie Laurent, a journalist at The Update Desk, this relentless search for detail is what fuels her passion for the craft.
As she joins the Guardian’s expanding coverage of soccer in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Laurent brings with her a unique perspective – one that has been honed through a lifelong fascination with treasure hunts and a keen eye for the unexpected. “The stories around soccer – the history, the crowds, the cultures, the songs, the individuality, its worldwide scope – are all so ample and ever-changing,” she explains. “I fell in love with what happened off the field before I understood much of what happened on it.”
This attention to detail has led Laurent to uncover a wealth of captivating narratives, from the players with demanding side jobs to the books that have taken over the locker room. “The subtle, intricate details of the game pair nicely with spending hours rifling through pages of transcriptions to pick out the best quotes,” she says. “The near-non stop fixture list demands similarly relentless focus, writing outline upon outline.”
It’s a process that Laurent likens to the thrill of a treasure hunt, where the true rewards come not from the end goal, but from the journey itself. “The search for stories remains exciting, and it’s a never-ending one: for what’s new, for what’s next, for what’s hiding beneath all of it,” she says.
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Laurent’s dedication to this detail-oriented approach will be put to the test. But for her, the challenge is part of the appeal. “I’d imagine that scoring a goal feels something like when you finally find the right way to sequence paragraphs in a story, making everything click into place,” she muses. “It’s probably no surprise I was drawn to editing.”
With her keen eye for the unexpected and her unwavering commitment to uncovering the hidden stories, Sophie Laurent is poised to become a driving force in the world of sports journalism. And for those who share her passion for the thrill of the hunt, her journey promises to be a captivating one to follow.
