Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tried and failed to catch a rat which had strayed onto the pitch during Belgium’s eventful World Cup qualifying victory over Wales on Monday night.
The revered shot-stopper doesn’t let many balls slip through his gloved fingers but couldn’t quite get a grip on the pesky rodent, which forced a light-hearted suspension to a tense clash. Belgium had recovered from an early Joe Rodon opener to lead 2–1 by the time a furry streaker gatecrashed the Cardiff City Stadium midway through the second half.
“I saw that rat appear and wanted to stop it,” Courtois reflected after the event. “The crowd cheered, but I just couldn’t reach it. What would I have done if I had actually caught that rat? I would have dutifully taken it back behind the boards. I certainly wouldn’t have done anything to it.”
ICYMI: There was an unexpected visitor at the Cardiff City Stadium last night 😆#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/7xsPpUsO5i
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) October 14, 2025
Kevin De Bruyne converted his second penalty of the night shortly after Brennan Johnson had ushered the rat off the side of the pitch to a hefty ovation from the crowd. Nathan Broadhead reduced the deficit in the 89th minute only for Leandro Trossard to remove any whisper of jeopardy by making it 4–2 in the final seconds of normal time.
Belgium are undefeated in World Cup qualifying, moving onto 14 points from six games with Monday’s win. Another victory against either Kazakhstan or Liechtenstein would guarantee the Red Devils qualification to the international jamboree next summer.
Courtois, who brushed aside his failed pest control, celebrated the significant win with some takeaway pizza on a private jet back to Spain on Monday night. He will be hoping to avoid any more unexpected visitors in Real Madrid’s La Liga clash with Getafe on Sunday evening.
Incidentally, this is not the first time Courtois has come across rats on a football pitch. The former Atlético Madrid goalkeeper has routinely found himself bombarded with stuffed rodents when facing his past employers in the capital derby after joining their fierce city rivals.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Star Forced Into Rat-Catching Role on International Duty.
