Atletico Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 3-2 in a La Liga fixture held on 7 March 2026. The match featured a brief second-half interruption when a pigeon landed on the pitch. Refereeing officials paused play while the bird remained in the field of play.
Defender Jose Gimenez approached the bird and successfully picked it up with both hands. The Uruguay international carried the pigeon to the touchline and handed it to stadium staff for safety. Play resumed shortly after the animal's removal from the playing surface, per reports from ESPN.
In the sporting contest, Atletico secured the three points to maintain their pursuit of a top-four finish in the league table. Diego Simeone's men led for much of the encounter despite late pressure from the visitors. According to Reuters, the victory moves the capital club closer to securing a place in next season's Champions League. Real Sociedad remain in the top half of the standings following the narrow defeat.
