A rare and unusual moment unfolded during the World Cup Group D match between the United States and Australia when play was briefly suspended after the referee suffered an injury on the pitch.
German referee Felix Zwayer, 45, collapsed during extra time due to severe muscle cramps, bringing the match to an unexpected pause.
American forward Folarin Balogun rushed to assist, attempting to relieve the cramp by gently stretching the referee’s leg as medical attention was awaited. The incident temporarily stopped play, drawing concern from players and officials on the field.
FIFA medical staff, fourth official Katia Garcia, and the assistant referees quickly entered the field. Australian midfielder Aiden O’Neill also assisted in helping the referee.
After a few minutes of treatment, Zwayer was able to stand up again and continue officiating the match. The American fans in attendance gave him a loud round of applause in appreciation.
On the other hand, Pakistani-manufactured FIFA 2026 football has now reached space. Astronauts from the U.S. space agency NASA conducted a scientific experiment with the modern FIFA World Cup ball aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The experiment was carried out inside the station, specifically in the Cupola module, where the football was observed floating in a weightless environment. The astronauts used the Trionda ball designed by Adidas to study how a football behaves in microgravity conditions.
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