Minnesota United closed out a 5-1 victory even after a toddler entered the field with about a minute and a half left at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. The referee stopped play, stadium staff lifted the child from the turf and handed the youngster to a woman at the sideline, ending the interruption without affecting the final score.
Apple TV’s broadcast captured the moment, with analyst Kyndra de St Aubin exclaiming, “Oh! There’s a baby on the field.” Another on-air voice compared the scene to a prior unusual stoppage, calling it “That’s way better than the racoon,” and noting the child was “on the edge of the 18[-yard box].”
Commentators referenced a May 2024 incident when a raccoon, nicknamed “Raquinho,” invaded a pitch and was eventually trapped in a trash can during a New York City FC game against the Philadelphia Union. At that time an Apple TV commentator said, “We need to find him a ball because he’s moving very well in the center of midfield,” and Callum Williams added, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite as bizarre as this, particularly given the amount of time he’s remained on the field.” The raccoon episode required several men to catch the animal.
Minnesota manager Cameron Knowles reacted to Saturday’s interruption by describing the moment as surprising and lighthearted. “You could hear the noise and then you’re looking to see what it is. I thought, ‘Man, it’s a little too early to get a lifetime ban from a stadium,’” he said.
The Athletic reported this was the third instance since 2021 of a child making it onto an MLS pitch. The report cites a June 2025 match between DC United and the Chicago Fire when a baby reached the field before being retrieved by security, and an incident in 2021 in Ohio when a mother ran onto the pitch at FC Cincinnati to collect her 2-year-old.
After the stoppage, Minnesota United’s X account framed the result with a post reading, “Like taking money from a baby.” The child’s removal allowed play to resume and the match to finish without further incident.
