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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Holly Bishop

Wales vs Belgium World Cup qualifier stopped after rat invades pitch

This is the moment a rat runs onto the pitch during the Wales vs Belgium World Cup 2026 qualifying match.

The game was halted to try and shoo the rodent off the field in the 66th minute on Monday night (13 October).

Wales and Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson managed to usher the creature off the pitch as it ran towards a camera operator. A commentator joked that the rat was “getting the biggest cheer of the night”.

The Belgians ended up victorious with a score of 4-2, dashing Craig Bellamy's Red Dragons’ dreams of automatic World Cup qualification for next year’s tournament in the US.

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