‘There’s a baby on the field’: Toddler invades pitch during Minnesota’s MLS win over San Jose
A toddler ran onto the pitch during Minnesota United's 5-1 Major League Soccer win over San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, prompting the referee to halt play with just a minute and a half remaining. The incident, at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, briefly startled broadcasters, with an Apple TV analyst exclaiming "There's a baby on the field" as the child wandered near the edge of the penalty area before being retrieved.
A stadium official picked the toddler up and returned them to a woman believed to be their mother, allowing the match to resume. Commentators drew comparisons to a raccoon that famously interrupted a game between New York City FC and Philadelphia Union in May 2024. According to The Athletic, this was the third time since 2021 that a child has invaded an MLS pitch, following similar incidents in 2021 and June 2025. Minnesota United's manager, Cameron Knowles, joked about the moment afterwards, and the club's social media account quipped that its win was "like taking money from a baby."
- Toddler wandered onto the pitch in Minnesota's 5-1 MLS win over San Jose
- Referee stopped play; child was scooped up and returned to its mother
- Third such pitch invasion by a child in MLS since 2021