Aug. 23, 2026, 3:51 p.m. ET
MLS is no stranger to the occasional pitch invader. Inter Miami had to hire a personal security guard to shadow Lionel Messi from the sideline in order to stop fans from running on the field to greet the superstar (before he was suspended). But one thing is for certain:
None of those fans were babies.
Saturday’s pitch invader in San Jose might have been a first for MLS.
With the match already in stoppage time of Minnesota United FC’s 5-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, play had to be stopped as security personnel intervened to stop a baby who had made his way onto the field at PayPal Park.
I’m not sure how that even happened because, well, babies are notoriously slow, and they theoretically have adults watching them. Well, this child got WAY out there onto the field before being scooped up by security.
According to photographer David Gonzales, the child was the son of Earthquakes goalkeeper Angus Gunn. That must have been a fun conversation after the match.