A brawl between the two sets of fans in the stands prompted the local police at the venue to resort to a baton charge against the away fans.
During the Argentina-Brazil game at the Maracana Stadium, Lionel Messi had to guide his teammates back to the locker room amidst escalating violence. Fans engaged in a brawl, prompting local police to intervene with a baton charge against the away fans.
Messi commented, “We saw how they were hitting people… They were more focused on that than on the game. We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down; a tragedy could have happened.”
On the field, the intense rivalry manifested in a verbal spat between Messi and Rodrygo, who reportedly called Messi and his team cowards. Messi retorted, “We are the world champions; why are we cowards? Look at your mouth.”
Post-match, Argentine players celebrated with fans, singing chants like “A minute of silence to Brazil who’s dead.” The 1-0 victory came from a goal by Otamendi in the 63rd minute, and Brazil’s misery deepened with Joelinton’s red card in the 82nd minute for hitting Rodrigo de Paul.
The loss marked Brazil’s first-ever home defeat in a World Cup qualifier and their third consecutive loss. Argentina leads the standings with 15 points, while Brazil is in sixth place, eight points behind, the last spot guaranteeing a berth at the 2026 finals.
Source: REUTERS
