England's World Cup final with Spain was disrupted after an anti-Putin pitch invader wearing a 'Stop Putler' t-shirt was rugby tackled to the ground by stewards wearing football boots.<br /><br />The much-anticipated final in Sydney was briefly halted in the 24th minute as security rushed onto the pitch at Stadium Australia to escort the anti-war protester away.<br /><br />The intruder, who was also wearing a face mask, ran across the pitch with his arms high in the air as he made a political protest against Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin - who launched an illegal invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022.<br /><br />The pitch invader was wearing a t-shirt that said 'Stop Putler' on the front as he compared the Russian despot to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. It also featured an image of Putin depicted as Hitler with a photoshopped hairline and a small mustache.<br /><br />On the back of the intruder's t-shirt, it said 'Free Ukraine' and featured the invaded country's national flag. <br /><br />The protest comes five years after Russian punk group Pussy Riot stormed the Men's World Cup final in Moscow. Four members of the group - who are vocal critics of Putin - halted play before they were rounded up and dragged away in front of the Russian president who was watching from a box.<br /><br />The 'Putler' term, coined by anti-fascists, rose in popularity after the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.<br /><br />Footage from the stands showed that the protester was in touching distance of England star Lauren Hemp before being tackled to the ground by efficient security.<br /><br />There was a short delay as England waited to take a free-kick but the game got back underway soon after.<br /><br />Minutes after the pitch invasion took place, the Lionesses went a goal down to Spain in a major blow to their quest for World Cup glory. Despite Mary Earps saving a second-half penalty, England was unable to find an equalizer as Spain was crowned world champions for the first time.<br /><br />The BBC's commentary team said that the pitch invader was 'dealt with swiftly', adding: 'They know their rugby round this part of the world, and that was a pretty decent tackle.'<br /><br />It's understood that the stewards were wearing studded football boots to help with grip in the event of a pitch invasion - and it appeared to work. The man who intruded was wearing normal trainers.<br /><br />The political protest comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed a stern retaliation to the Russian missile strike in the center of the northern city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded more than 100 others.<br /><br />'I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly,' Mr. Zelensky said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden, his first foreign trip since attending a Nato summit in Lithuania last month.<br /><br />He named a six-year-old girl, Sofia, as among the dead in the attack and confirmed that the wounded included 15 children.
