A Sinkhole Appeared on the Field During the Austria - Cyprus Match: How It Stopped the Game.

Incident During the Match: Hole on the Field

According to The Sun: The game was halted during the qualifying match for the World Cup due to the appearance of an unsightly sinkhole on the field.

Players and officials were shocked during the home game of Austria against Cyprus on Saturday when a hole was discovered on the field after 75 minutes of play.

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Danish referee Jakob Kehlet stopped the game while the hole was inspected.

The hole was so large that a football could fit in it and was located at the edge of the penalty area of Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

Ground staff at the 'Raiffeisen Arena' in Linz urgently loaded sand in an effort to make the field safe for the continuation of the game.

A section of the pitch has literally collapsed in the game between Austria & Cyprus. The ground staff are running up and down with buckets of soil trying to sort the situation. Can’t remember seeing anything like it! pic.twitter.com/OECrF5jiGk

— Harry Symeou (@HarrySymeou) September 6, 2025

Reactions from football fans varied from concern to jokes during the delay in the match's resumption.

One person wrote: 'What nonsense. A great risk to health. One wrong step — and your ankle could go.'

A second user joked: 'The hole on the field is pure comedy. The Austrians must have been very careful when choosing the stadium for the international match.'

Their comments actually reflected the situation, as this was not the first instance of such an unforeseen occurrence in Austria.

Similar circumstances occurred in 2022 when a hole appeared during a Nations League match against Denmark.

Despite the fears, the game eventually resumed, and Austria maintained their one-goal advantage scored by a penalty from former Manchester United player Marcel Sabitzer, winning the match 1-0.

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The incident on the field underscores the importance of proper maintenance of sports venues, as the safety of players must be paramount. Football fans and stadium services hope that such situations do not become regular and that matches can proceed without disruptions.