Toddler briefly interrupts Minnesota’s 5-1 MLS win over San Jose

A Major League Soccer match in San Jose was briefly halted Saturday when a toddler wandered onto the field with about 90 seconds remaining in Minnesota United’s 5-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. The referee stopped play as the child moved near the edge of the 18-yard box. During the Apple TV broadcast, analyst Kyndra de St Aubin reacted with surprise, saying there was “a baby on the field.” A stadium official soon picked up the toddler and escorted them from the pitch before handing them to a woman believed to be the child’s mother. The supplied report does not identify how the child reached the field or whether any action was taken against an accompanying adult. The unusual interruption prompted commentators to compare the incident with an earlier MLS pitch invasion by a raccoon. That animal entered a May 2024 match between New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union and was eventually captured in a trash can after several men tried to catch it. Minnesota manager Cameron Knowles said he heard the crowd noise before looking toward the field. He joked that it would be unfortunate to receive a lifetime stadium ban so early in life. Minnesota United later referred to its victory on X with the line “Like taking money from a baby,” a play on the team’s commanding result. According to The Athletic, as cited in the report, the incident was the third time since 2021 that a child had entered the field during an MLS match. A baby reportedly reached the pitch during a June 2025 game between DC United and the Chicago Fire, while a 2-year-old entered the field during a 2021 match between FC Cincinnati and Orlando City FC before being collected by the child’s mother.