England-Serbia qualifier halted after lasers target England players; Three Lions win 5-0 in Belgrade
Match stopped in the 38th minute when green laser beams were aimed at Ezri Konsa and Reece James; England completed a 5-0 victory at the Rajko Mitić Stadium
England's World Cup qualifying match in Belgrade was temporarily halted in the 38th minute after laser beams from the crowd were directed at visiting players, but the fixture resumed and ended in a 5-0 victory for the visitors.
Referee intervention followed footage showing Ezri Konsa shielding his eyes as a green laser was shone in his direction while he carried the ball; Reece James was also targeted. The stoppage drew loud jeers from the home supporters and lasted only briefly before play continued.
Broadcasters and social media circulated clips of the incident. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, said Konsa "immediately stopped" and "put his hands to his eyes" after a clear green laser shone in his face. The match took place at the Rajko Mitić Stadium in front of a reduced crowd after Serbian supporters were sanctioned earlier this year for racist abuse directed at another national team.
The disruption did not derail England's performance. Harry Kane opened the scoring early in the first half, and a flick from Morgan Rogers set up Noni Madueke for what was reported as his first international goal to make it 2-0. After the interval, Konsa, an Aston Villa defender, scored into an empty net for his maiden England goal, and Marc Guehi added a fourth in the 75th minute. Marcus Rashford converted a late penalty to complete the 5-0 scoreline.
England's captain, Harry Kane, had told reporters before the match that the team would walk off the pitch if they were racially abused, and he referenced UEFA protocols designed to address such incidents. Officials did not report racial abuse during Tuesday's fixture, and the stoppage was attributed to the laser targeting.
The victory keeps England at the top of their qualifying group with 15 points and three matches remaining. Serbian forwards Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandr Mitrovic were among the home side's attacking options that night but were unable to influence the scoreline.
UEFA and national federations routinely monitor crowd behaviour and can impose sanctions after matches in which misconduct is identified. Authorities did not announce immediate sanctions linked to the laser incident during or immediately after the game.