Rat stops Wales-Belgium match: Courtois and De Bruyne at the epicenter of surreal events
Kyiv • UNN
During the Wales-Belgium match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, a rat ran onto the field in the 65th minute, stopping the game. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tried to catch it, but the rodent escaped, and was later carried off by Welsh striker Johnson.
The central frame of the Wales – Belgium match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was the moment when the game had to be stopped due to a rat "invasion". Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper of the Belgian national team, took the courage to catch the rodent that was interfering with the important sports game.
Reported by UNN with reference to Footboom and BR Football.
Details
At the Cardiff City Stadium, during the Wales – Belgium match as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, a rat unexpectedly landed. The unexpected guest, a representative of the rodent family, caused an unplanned stop of the important international match.
It is interesting that the unusual incident occurred in the 65th minute, when the score was already 2-1 in favor of the guests - the Belgian national team. But the referee had no choice but to suspend the game, because the rat had already crossed the field.
At this crucial moment, the guest goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois came out to the center of the field. He tried to grab the intruder - at the moment when the animal remained motionless, Courtois tried to grab it. However, the rodent's reaction surpassed the sports grip of the master of sports. The rat escaped again.
Then the "guest" of the match ran across a large part of the playing field, forcing De Bruyne (midfielder of the Belgian national team and Italian "Napoli") and Co to patiently wait until this fan of the football field from the rodent family finally found his way to his rat "VIP-stand".
Soon, Welsh striker Johnson, rushing to continue the game to at least save a draw for Wales, surrounded the intruder and carried him to the sideline. When the animal disappeared, the crowd applauded.
Subsequently, the match resumed, but the game still ended with Belgium's victory. The final score of the game: 4-2 in favor of the "Red Devils".
Recall
The Ukrainian national football team won its second consecutive victory in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, beating Azerbaijan 2-1 in Krakow. Ukraine is in second place in Group D, three points behind France.