World Cup Qualifier Paused in Belgrade After Laser Pen Incident

During England's World Cup qualifier against Serbia in Belgrade, the match was briefly paused in the 38th minute after a laser pen was shone in England defender Ezri Konsa's face, with another beam directed at Reece James shortly before. French referee Clement Turpin stopped the game to address the issue and spoke with the fourth official before play resumed following a public announcement warning fans against the use of laser pens and pyrotechnics. The Three Lions were leading 2-0 at the time and went on to win 5-0, with Konsa scoring his first international goal after the break. The match was also marked by unrest in the stands, including riot police entering after home fans chanted anti-government slogans and chants related to Kosovo. Serbia's Football Association had at least 15% of their stadium closed due to previous racist chanting incidents and has faced fines exceeding £600,000 from FIFA and UEFA in recent years. The crowd disturbances and laser pen incident highlight ongoing issues with fan behavior impacting international football matches in Serbia.