A Peeved Parrot Crashed a Youth Soccer Match and Attacked a Player, Then the Bird Came Swooping Back
· Yahoo Sports
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A blue-and-yellow macaw disrupted a Brazil Under-15 Cup soccer match, forcing play to stop twice
- The bird startled players by swooping low and chasing them before flying away and returning later
- Despite the interruptions, the match continued, with Ceará defeating Flamengo 2-1
A youth soccer match in Brazil turned to chaos over the weekend thanks to an uninvited feathered guest.
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According to Pulse Sports, Flamengo and Ceará clubs were facing off in a Brazil Under-15 Cup match in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, Aug. 1, when a large parrot swooped onto the field and went after the young athletes.
The trouble started about 17 minutes into the first half. As a Flamengo defender attempted to pass the ball to a teammate, the blue-and-yellow bird dove straight toward him, sending the startled teen crashing to the ground in a panic.
A blue and yellow macaw parrot flying over a green fieldCredit: Getty
The parrot wasn’t done. In the clip shared on social media, the bird appears poised to go after a second player before veering off at the last moment, then continues pestering several others on the field until the referee is forced to pause the game. The feathered intruder eventually flew away, only to return about 25 minutes later, landing on the pitch and bringing play to a halt for a second time.
The disruptive bird was later identified as a blue-and-yellow macaw, one of the largest parrot species in the world. Native to the tropical rainforests of South America, the striking birds can grow to nearly 3 feet (about 91 cm) long from beak to tail and are known for their intelligence, loud vocalizations, and strong beaks, which likely made the low-flying visitor an intimidating sight for the teenage players below.
According to Complete Sports, despite the double interruption, the match played on to a full result. Flamengo initially took a 1-0 lead, but Ceará rallied to win 2-1.
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The macaw isn’t the only bird to make an unscheduled appearance at a soccer match this year. An amateur game in Istanbul was halted earlier in 2026 when a seagull was struck by the ball mid-flight, prompting the home team’s captain to rush over and perform CPR on the bird before it was carried off the field for further care.
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