Pitch invader wearing 'Putin as Hitler' shirt brings halt to Women's World Cup final

A pitch invader has halted play at the final of the Women's World Cup.

The match between Spain and England was briefly delayed as the person stormed the pitch wearing a 'free Ukraine' t-shirt, with stewards rushing to the scene.

It happened as the Lionesses faced Spain in the all important play off.

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Wearing all black attire, the as-yet-unarmed person rushed toward the pitch in the 24th minute, with a t-shirt embalmed with the image of Russian leader Vladimir Putin as Hitler.

Across their chest read 'Stop Putin' in bold letters, with the back of the top also carrying another message which read: "Free Ukraine".

Despite the tight security at the Stadium Australia in Sydney, the incident temporarily halted play as stewards responded to the situation.

As the moment unfurled on live-TV, the BBC reacted to the pitch invader with camera focusing in on the unexpected addition to play.

Commentator Robyn Cowan then told viewers that invader had been swiftly 'dealt with', joking that moment had solidified the match's status a 'big game'.

In recent months, other sport fixtures such as Wimbledon have had similar security breeches with ecological group Just Stop Oil stopping play in bid to bring awareness to their political message.

However, it's unclear whether today's pitch invader had been inspired by similar events.

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At the point play stopped, the score had been 0-0 during the nail biting match.

Sadly, Spain scored shortly after play resumed with Olga Carmona managing to the hit the back of the net, even with goalkeeper Mary Earps' efforts.

With the match now entering the second half, England have yet to score in the final - which could see them bring win the World Cup.

If they accomplish the unimaginable, it will be the first time England have won the tournament since 1966.

However, it not over just yet with the Lionesses still making a bid for World Cup glory.

In fact, Lauren Hemp seemingly rattled Spain with an earlier hit to the crossbar with the tantalisingly close shot.

Experts also think that Lauren James will make an appearance during the second half, having been benched following a red card against Nigeria earlier in the tournament.

If the women's side win big in Australia though, they won't be taking home a World Cup Worthy pay check.

The Football Association reportedly turned down the side's request for a bonus of £100,000 each if they win, which has caused a major backlash.

Here's hoping they reconsider their decision if the women bring home the cup.