A giant bird tried to attack a soccer player and the match had to stop

What looked like an ordinary youth soccer match suddenly turned into a surreal scene after a giant blue-and-yellow macaw flew onto the field, forcing play to stop and leaving players scrambling for cover.

The bizarre incident happened during the third-place match of Brazil's inaugural Copa do Brasil U-15 between Flamengo and Ceará. At the 16-minute mark of the first half, Flamengo defender Valmir noticed the bird flying directly toward him and instinctively dove to the ground to avoid it.

Although videos of the moment quickly spread across social media, Brazilian media later confirmed that the player was never struck by the bird and escaped without injury.

The mystery behind the giant bird

The unexpected visitor wasn't just any wild animal. Local reporters quickly identified the macaw as "Pelé," a well-known resident of Granja Comary, the Brazilian Football Confederation's national training center in Teresópolis.

Pelé has become something of a local celebrity after repeatedly appearing during Brazil national team training sessions, often landing on goalposts or calmly watching players from just a few feet away.

With the bird repeatedly circling the field, the referee temporarily halted the game until it finally flew back toward the surrounding trees.

Once play resumed, Flamengo took the lead through Deivid Lucas before Ceará rallied with goals from André Luís and Kayck Pará to earn a 2-1 victory and secure third place.

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