Play was dropped at a standstill throughout Austria’s 2026 World Cup qualifier towards Cyprus after a sinkhole abruptly appeared on the pitch late within the second half.
The weird incident occurred across the seventy fifth minute, when Danish referee Jakob Kehlet halted the match after noticing the gaping gap close to Austria keeper Alexander Schlager’s field on the Raiffeisen Enviornment, in Linz.
The opening was large sufficient to swallow a whole soccer, prompting floor employees to hurry on with buckets of sand in a frantic try and patch it up.
After greater than seven minutes of repairs, Kehlet lastly gave the inexperienced mild to renew, with Austria finally sealing a 1-0 win due to Marcel Sabitzer’s second-half penalty – scored earlier than the bottom gave manner.
A piece of the pitch has actually collapsed within the sport between Austria & Cyprus. The bottom employees are working up and down with buckets of soil attempting to type the state of affairs. Can’t bear in mind seeing something prefer it! pic.twitter.com/OECrF5jiGk
— Harry Symeou (@HarrySymeou) September 6, 2025
The win means Austria are actually second in Group H qualifying, having received all three of their video games up to now, behind additionally unbeaten Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Remarkably, this isn’t the primary time Austrian soccer has flirted with the earth caving in. Again in 2022, a Nations League conflict towards Denmark, which Austria misplaced 2-1, on the Ernst Happel Stadium was additionally interrupted by an enormous sinkhole opening up on the pitch.
No less than this time Austria nonetheless managed to dig out the three factors – although perhaps somebody in needs to be calling a geologist earlier than the subsequent fixture.
