The game stopped during the 2026 World Cup in Austria against Cyprus after a hole suddenly appeared on the pitch in the second half.
The strange incident took place in the 75th minute, when the Danish referee Jakob Kehlet stopped the game after noticing the hole near the goalkeeper of Austria, Alexander Schlager, in Raiffeisen Arena, in Linz.
The opening was wide enough to swallow whole football, which caused the land staff to rush with sandbows in a frantic attempt to fight it.
After more than seven minutes of repairs, Kehlet finally gave the green light to resume, and Austria ended with a victory for 1-0 thanks to the second half of Marcel Sabitzer, marked before the ground was given.
A section of the pitch has literally collapsed in the game between Austria and Cyprus. The terrain staff runs up and down with buckets of floor trying to order the situation. I don’t remember seeing anything! pic.twitter.com/oecrf5jigk
– Harry Syeou (@harrysymeou) September 6, 2025
The victory means that Austria is now second in the H -group standings, having won the three games so far, behind Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Notably, this is not the first time that Austrian football has flirted with the land that is spread. In 2022, a confrontation of the Nations League against Denmark, which Austria lost 2-1, at Ernst Hapel stadium, was also interrupted by a huge hole that opened on the pitch.
At least this time, Austria still managed to excavate the three points, but maybe someone from the inside should call a geologist before the next equipment.
