Riots in the stands: Argentina wins in Brazil

For the first time in history, the Brazilian national team lost at home in World Cup qualifying.

Source: dpa

It was the first defeat of the Brazilian national team in the history of World Cup qualification in front of a home crowd. Even before kick-off, violence in the stands caused a delay.

The professionals first tried to calm the situation and then went into the dressing room. The game therefore started with a 27-minute delay. “We did that because it was the way to calm everything down. We couldn’t do much from below. We saw them beating people,” Messi said of the police operation.

Brawls in the stands cause chaos before kick-off.

Source: dpa

Supporters of the two teams engaged in violent altercations in the stands, as was seen on television. The Brazilian police then used batons, especially against the Argentine fans.

Nicolás Otamendi headed the final score from a corner in the 63rd minute. Messi complained of pain in his right thigh twice in the first half and received treatment on the pitch. In the 78th minute he was finally substituted for Ángel Di María.

The hosts played the final minutes outnumbered after Brazilian striker Joelinton was shown a red card for a blow to Rodrigo De Paul’s face in the 81st minute.

Most recently, the two South American football superpowers Argentina and Brazil both failed in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Last week, record world champions Brazil lost to Colombia 1-2 away. World champion Argentina lost 2-0 at home to Uruguay. For Messi’s team it was the first defeat since the World Cup.

After the victory in Rio, Argentina remains at the top of the table with 15 points after six match days, followed by Uruguay (13) and Colombia (12). Brazil is sixth with seven points.