The World Cup qualifying match between Wales and Belgium was temporarily suspended after a rat unexpectedly appeared on the pitch at Cardiff City Stadium.
Craig Bellamy’s side were struggling at 2-1 when the game was suspended in the 66th minute due to a head injury to one of the Belgians.
But while the players had to wait for the rodent to come off the pitch before the match could resume, Wales fans had the chance to enjoy a moment of comedy during a grueling qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.
Substitute Brennan Johnson found himself having to guide a rat off the field as it ran toward a cameraman on the touchline.
“I saw it all. Brennan Johnson escorting a rat off the pitch,” one spectator said.
“Joe Rodent” was a play on the name of Leeds United defender Joe Rodon, who scored the opening goal of the game.
“The best thing about the game (in my opinion) was the rat,” another fan commented on social media shortly before Wales fell two points behind thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty.
“I can’t believe I’ve ever seen Brennan Johnson chase a rat off the pitch,” said another surprised viewer.
Rodon put Wales ahead early in the match, but the visitors hit back with two goals before half-time, leaving Wales with a big task.
De Bruyne converted his second penalty of the night with 15 minutes remaining, further complicating matters for Bellamy’s side.
But the one-sided cat-and-mouse game eventually came to a seemingly inevitable conclusion with Belgium winning 4-2.
The defeat severely dented Wales’ hopes of automatically qualifying for next year, leaving them reliant on results from other teams to climb out of the hole.
