Colombia's Ramirez waves away security as young fan invades pitch for selfie

08 August 2023 , 16:27

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Colombia's Ramirez waves away security as young fan invades pitch for selfie

A young Colombia fan snuck onto the pitch following their round of 16 win over Jamaica to get a selfie with star striker Mayra Ramirez.

Colombia edged past the Reggae Girlz 1-0 on Tuesday to book their place in the last eight of the FIFA Women's World Cup. After a relatively subdued first half in Melbourne, Catalina Usme put her country ahead shortly after half-time.

Despite Jamaica's efforts, they were unable to find a way back into the game and it was Colombia who progressed to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final tie with England later this week. The Lionesses themselves only narrowly made it out of the last 16 after beating Nigeria 4-2 on penalties on Monday.

But Tuesday was all about Colombia, who have produced some of the most memorable moments at this tournament so far. They recorded a historic win over Germany in the group stages and topped group H ahead of Morocco.

Their passionate fans have also set the standard at this year's World Cup and their matches have often felt like home games with the sea of yellow that fills the stands wherever they play. The excitement proved too much for one young supporter amid their post-match celebrations on Tuesday.

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The young boy was pictured running onto the pitch to Colombia's star striker Ramirez in order to get a selfie. Despite security's efforts to guide him away, the 24-year-old Levante forward insisted it was okay and posed for a photo with the fan.

Security then guided him away, but it was another moment that showed just why this Colombia team is one of the most likeable at this year's tournament.

A young child invades the pitch to take a selfie with Mayra Ramirez of Colombia after they beat Jamaica at the FIFA Women's World Cup (Chris Putnam/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

England will take on Colombia in the quarter-finals this Saturday with kick-off at 11:30 am. The winner will play either France or Australia in the semi-finals next week with all eyes on the final in Sydney on August 20.

The Lionesses, though, will need to be at their best if they're to progress ahead of Colombia, who have already produced arguably the biggest giant killing of the tournament so far. It's not just Ramirez they will need to be wary of, but 18-year-old Linda Caicedo has already shown why she's one of the most promising young talents in the world.

England's quarter-final clash will be shown live on ITV1 and ITVX with coverage starting at 10:45 am.

Hannah Pinnock