The World Cup qualifier match between Wales and Belgium was briefly interrupted when a rat made an unexpected appearance on the pitch at Cardiff City Stadium.
Craig Bellamy’s team were struggling 2-1 down in the 66th minute when the game was paused due to a head injury sustained by one of the Belgian players.
However, before play could recommence, the players had to wait for a rodent to exit the pitch, while Welsh fans took the opportunity to enjoy a moment of comedy during the gruelling qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.
Substitute Brennan Johnson found himself having to guide the rat off the field as it scurried towards a camera operator on the touchline.
“Seen it all. Brennan Johnson escorts a rat off the pitch,” remarked one spectator.
“Joe Rodent,” quipped another, making a pun on the name of Welsh and Leeds United defender Joe Rodon, who scored the opening goal of the match.
“The rat was the best part of this game imo (in my opinion),” another fan commented on social media, just moments before Wales fell two goals behind following a penalty from Kevin De Bruyne.
“There’s no way I’ve just watched Brennan Johnson chase a rat off the pitch,” expressed another astonished viewer.
Rodon put Wales ahead early in the game, but the visitors responded with two goals before half time, leaving Wales with a significant challenge.
De Bruyne scored his second penalty of the evening with only 15 minutes remaining, further complicating matters for Bellamy’s squad.
But the one-sided game of cat and mouse eventually came to a seemingly inevitable conclusion, with Belgium taking the game 4-2.
The loss significantly chews away at Wales’ hopes of automatic qualification for next year and leaves them relying on the results of other teams to help them out of the hole.