Paraguay midfielder Matías Galarza, who played a key role in his team’s win over Turkey, became the subject of social media debate after a viral video appeared to show him briefly wearing a referee’s watch during the match.

The incident reportedly took place shortly before halftime, when players from both teams were involved in a heated exchange and brief pushing on the field. During the commotion, referee Ivan Barton’s watch appeared to fall from his wrist.

In the viral footage, 24-year-old Galarza can be seen noticing the watch on the ground, picking it up and placing it on his own wrist instead of immediately handing it back to the referee.

The video also shows Galarza checking the watch buttons for a few moments while the referee appeared unaware of what had happened.

Galarza later returned the watch after the situation on the field settled. However, the clip quickly spread across social media, where some users accused the Paraguay player of attempting to steal the referee’s watch.

There has been no official statement reported from the player, the referee, or tournament authorities regarding any disciplinary action linked to the incident.