Curious scene at USA game
Suddenly the German referee is on the ground
Updated June 20, 2026 – 9:30 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
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The co-host’s game was already in its final minutes when there was an unexpected interruption. The focus: Felix Zwayer.
Next victory for the USA: Through this 2:0 (2:0) against Australia the co-host is already about to complete the group phase in the next round. The team had a national coach Mauricio Pochettino made little effort against largely harmless Australians.
But as the game was slowly winding down, one person suddenly became the focus. None of the players on the field – but the German referee Felix Zwayer.
The fourth minute of added time at Seattle Stadium: On the TV images you can see Zwayer suddenly sitting on the grass, obviously in pain. The German referee apparently had a cramp in his left leg because he had previously gotten stuck on the grass. Australia’s Aiden O’Neill tried to help the referee relax the cramp.
Shortly afterwards, further help came: Katia Garcia, the fourth official, brought the referee an energy gel to combat the loss of fluids. Zwayer’s hands shook a little.
“Didn’t look good at all”
Referee expert Patrick Ittrich tried to classify the scene on MagentaTV: “He stepped into the ground, I hope he didn’t hurt himself. I don’t know, it didn’t look good at all. It’s the back of the calf. If you make an uncontrolled movement, he probably has a cramp. I hope it’s nothing worse.”
Moments later it was clear: Zwayer could continue. There was applause for the official from the stands and the game continued with a free kick for Australia. The original six minutes of added time was extended. But nothing changed in the result. At the end of the group, the USA will face Turkey next Thursday (June 26). For Zwayer it is the first time taking part in one Football World Cup.
“Excellent performance from Felix”
The referee’s performance was positively received by referee boss Knut Kircher. “Felix had a lot of work to do with his first World Cup game and did it well, including VAR support. Now they have started the tournament too, which is important!” said the managing director DFB Schiri GmbH the sports information service.
When the USA scored the second goal by central defender Alex Freeman (44th), Zwayer initially ruled it offside, but then revised the decision after consulting with video assistant Bastian Dankert. Ittrich also said: “Really excellent performance from Felix. Running a lot, good yellow cards, that was really great.”