As the World Cup grips the US, a photograph from the 1962 tournament has resurfaced online after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a strange object in the crowd.

The image of Brazil captain Mauro Ramos celebrating his team's World Cup victory in Chile has convinced some viewers that a 'time traveler' was in attendance after they noticed a strange object hidden among the spectators. 

Standing directly below Ramos is an individual holding up what many online believe is a flip phone. 

One person shared on X: 'As the champion team celebrates with the trophy, the photo shows a man capturing the moment with his mobile phone. A mobile phone in 1962? It must be time travel.' 

The speculation stems from the notion that the first true flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, was not released until January 3, 1996.

The mysterious device even appears to catch the attention of the victorious Brazilian, who seems to be staring directly at it. 

But despite the wild speculation, there is a far less mysterious explanation. 

A closer look reveals the person is not holding a mobile phone at all, but a box camera, a popular photography device in the 1960s that, from the right angle, bears a striking resemblance to a flip phone. 

However, the angle at which the camera was held does appear similar to that of holding a flip phone.

A box camera is a simple, typically rectangular photographic device featuring a lens on one end and film or a light-sensitive plate on the other. 

Popularized from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries, they are known for their point-and-shoot ease and lack of complex focusing or exposure adjustments.

The person may have opted to hold the camera with one hand in order to capture a photo of Ramos celebrating over the crowd surrounding the soccer player.

The 1962 World Cup is remembered for some of the most defensive and aggressive play in soccer history. 

It was played on the heels of the devastating 1960 Valdivia earthquake, a magnitude 9.5, forcing organizers to spread the few matches across only three cities. 

Brazil won its second consecutive title by defeating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final. 

While the device was surely a camera, some people are not sold on the idea.

'This is a video from the 1962 World Cup final, when Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1, but what's surprising here is not the game, but the fact that a flip phone was spotted at the trophy presentation,' one X user shared.

'This strange coincidence literally proves that time travel is real.'

Another image taken in the 1940s has sparked similar time-travel theories after viewers spotted something strange in someone's hand.

The photograph, captured on a busy street in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1943 during World War II, appears to show a smartly dressed man among a crowd of soldiers holding an object to his ear.

The strange detail has fueled speculation that the unidentified figure was using a cellphone decades before the technology was invented.

The first mobile phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, went on sale in 1983, 40 years after the photo was taken.

Kristjan Hoffman, whose family has had the photo for decades, previously shared the picture on Facebook, writing: 'The American army is taking over Icelandic splendor, as you can see.

'One thing that draws attention to this beautiful picture is that above the window, in the corner in the middle of the picture, a man is leaning and is on a cell phone.

The post has sparked a debate, with some Facebook users agreeing with Hoffman, while others suggested the man was scratching his ear or holding a watch to his ear to make sure it was working.

Hoffman, however, pushed the time-traveler idea even further, noting: 'He's in a stupor, standing alone and wearing a different headdress than the others and a scarf and acting like we would do today.'

The image was shared by Hoffman in 2016 but has resurfaced this week, captivating the internet with the possibility of time travel. 

The photo was also shared on X, where users speculated the man could be holding a little radio.

However, the first small transistor radio was not released until the 1950s.

One user joked: 'Guy scratches ear 83 years later gets accused of being a time traveler.'

'Unless there were 'secret' cell phone towers, a cell phone would be useless back then,' another X user pointed out.