SportsSoccer

Calgary ball boy the hero in bizarre incident at Cavalry FC match

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Nov 9 2026, 5:43 pm
Calgary ball boy the hero in bizarre incident at Cavalry FC match
OneSoccer

Cavalry FC’s playoff victory over FC Supra du Québec on Saturday featured a moment that soccer fans around the world weren’t expecting to see.

During the closing moments of the Canadian Premier League semifinal at ATCO Field, Supra midfielder Alessandro Biello was shown a red card after shoving a Cavalry ball boy over the boards in a bizarre incident that quickly went viral.

With Cavalry protecting a 2-0 lead in the match and a 3-2 advantage on aggregate, Biello was desperately trying to get the ball back into play as Supra searched for an equalizer.

The midfielder approached a ball boy standing along the sideline, grabbed the ball from his hands and proceeded to shoulder him, sending the youngster backwards over the advertising barrier.

The incident immediately sparked a confrontation between players from both teams, with Cavalry players rushing to defend the young ball boy.

After reviewing the incident, the referee decided Biello’s actions warranted a red card for violent conduct, ending any remaining hopes of a Supra comeback.

The ball boy handled it in stride and stole the show with what happened next.

As Biello was exiting the field, cameras caught the youngster turning towards the Cavalry supporters while raising his arms and jumping up and down.

“Look at the ball retriever,” the announcer said during the sequence. “I have never seen this before! In 401 games of CPL commentary, this is a first for me.”

The bizarre sequence was shared by OneSoccer on social media and quickly attracted attention from soccer fans well beyond Calgary.

It was certainly an unusual way to cap off an important playoff victory for Cavalry, who overcame a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to advance to the CPL final.

The Calgary club will now get another shot at the North Star Cup, setting up a championship rematch with Atlético Ottawa on Nov. 21.

ADVERTISEMENT