Brazil faced its first-ever home World Cup qualifying defeat on Tuesday, as Argentina secured a 1-0 victory at the iconic Maracanã stadium in a match marred by violence and chaos.
Nicolas Otamendi’s towering header in the 63rd minute sealed the historic win for Argentina, marking Brazil’s third consecutive qualifying defeat, a first in the Seleção’s history.
However, the game was overshadowed by violence in the stands, causing a delay in the World Cup qualifier. Fighting erupted between the two sets of fans, who were seated together at one end of the stadium, during the national anthems. Brazilian police intervened to control the violence, but their heavy-handed approach with Argentine supporters incited outrage from Lionel Messi and the national team.
Inter Miami forward Messi led his teammates to the stand where the fighting occurred, appealing to both the police and Argentina fans for calm. Some Argentine supporters were seen throwing ripped-out seats at security officials, resulting in a chaotic scene that included crying children in the stands. In a remarkable moment, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez climbed onto the stand to prevent a police officer from using his baton on an Argentina fan.
Messi subsequently led the team off the pitch, and they retreated to the changing rooms for 10 minutes before the match eventually kicked off 30 minutes late.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) defended the presence of mixed fans, stating it’s “standard” in FIFA-organized matches and CONMEBOL events. The CBF asserted that the security plan was followed, involving 1,050 private security guards and 700 military police officers.
Brazil’s state military police confirmed their involvement in a scuffle among fans, leading to eight arrests, including one for alleged racial abuse of a Maracanã worker. CONMEBOL and the Argentine football federation did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
After the match, Messi expressed concern for the fans caught in the violence, emphasizing the match’s secondary nature at that point. He hailed the win as one of the most important achievements for the team, given the challenging circumstances.
In an unexpected twist, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni cast doubt on his position, stating he needed to think about his future. Scaloni mentioned the difficulty of maintaining the high standard and the need for a coach with maximum energy for the team.
The victory keeps Argentina at the top of World Cup qualifying, while Brazil, now without a win in four matches under interim head coach Fernando Diniz, languishes in sixth place. South America’s World Cup qualifying system involves 18 rounds, with the top six teams progressing to the 2026 event, and the seventh-placed country entering the FIFA play-off tournament against six teams from other continents.