“FIFA” opens “disciplinary procedures” in the “Maracana chaos” – Al-Ittihad

Lausanne (AFP)

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) confirmed that it had opened disciplinary procedures against the Brazilian and Argentine federations, after the crowd disturbance that led to a delay in the start of the match between the two teams in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The start of the match between the two archrivals at the famous Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which Argentina won 1-0, was delayed for about half an hour, after violent confrontations broke out between fans of both sides.
The famous stadium entered a state of chaos, as the players tried in vain to persuade the fans to stop the disturbance, and Argentine captain Lionel Messi led his teammates, who headed to the dressing room, and did not return until the violence stopped.
The police responded to the disturbance by using batons, resulting in the injury of several fans.
The International Federation said in its statement, “FIFA can confirm that its disciplinary committee has initiated proceedings against the Brazilian and Argentine Football Associations.”
Brazil faces sanctions for “possible violations of Article 17” of FIFA’s disciplinary code, which regulates order and security at matches.
For its part, Argentina, which inflicted the first loss to Brazil at home in a World Cup qualifier ever, faces penalties for “disturbing the fans” and “delaying the start of the match.”
The two countries may be subject to financial fines, in addition to playing international matches on their soil, with the partial or complete closure of their stadiums, which are the two most common penalties.
Argentina leads the South American qualifiers standings with 15 points from six matches, while Brazil suffered its third loss in the current qualifiers and fell to sixth place with seven points out of a possible 18.