Read 3 minutes20 Jun 2026 10:57 AM IST
Before the Socceroos, World Cup debut went down for Felix Zwayer. The heat and sweltering atmosphere was already too much for Australia at Seattle Stadium on Friday afternoon against the hosts United States. Their grief knew no bounds as German referee Zweier collapsed on the pitch in excruciating pain, prolonging the wait for the final whistle.
Down 0-2 in six minutes of stoppage time, Australia had to wait as the 45-year-old referee fell to the ground and injured his leg.
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“Oh, let’s go. I’ve seen it all now. The cramping of the referee,” former Australian right-back Luke Wilkshire said on comms.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a player help a referee like that,” exclaimed broadcaster David Bashir.
Bashir immediately referred to scenes where Zweier was being helped over to Socceroos star Aidan O’Neill who had overcome cramps.
🚨 | Referee goes down with cramp in USA vs Australia match! Never seen before. pic.twitter.com/ybuLAcsSy7
— SportingMatrix (@Sporting_Matrix) 19 June 2026
“Felix Zweier, you need to get to 96 minutes, and you’re very close,” Bashir added.
Cameras lingered on Zweier as he was quickly pulled out a drink to recover. Standing just short of the touchline, assistant referee Catia Garcia ran onto the pitch to hand out a drink, possibly pickle juice. Garcia also started warming up to make sure she was ready to take the whistle if Zweier couldn’t continue.
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After receiving some assistance from the players, Zweier managed to get back to his feet and complete the remainder of the layoff without incident.
The match marked the World Cup debut for the German referee. While Zweier is no stranger to high-profile stages, having worked regularly in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League, this was his first appearance at football’s biggest international stage. It was a memorable debut despite an unfortunate bout of leg cramps late in the game.
Co-hosts USA, however, were not complaining as they defeated their rivals on a hot afternoon in Seattle to become the second team after Mexico to qualify for the knockout stages.