A rare incident occurred during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier between Italy and Estonia: around the 2nd minute of the game, referee João Pinheiro suddenly stopped play after noticing a ringing mobile phone on the pitch.
The phone belonged to a staff member responsible for setting up the sideline advertising boards before the match, who had accidentally left it on the field. The referee quickly noticed the phone due to its ringing, picked it up, and handed it over to the fourth official.
Although the minor incident only paused the game for a few seconds, it came as a surprise to both on-site spectators and TV viewers.
In Gennaro Gattuso’s debut as Italy’s head coach, the team was not affected by the disruption and eventually secured a resounding 5-0 victory over their opponents. The goalscorers were Mateo Retegui (who scored twice), Moise Kean, Giacomo Raspadori, and Alessandro Bastoni.
