Argentina captain Lionel Messi responded strongly to the crowd disturbance at Maracana Stadium before the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match against Brazil. He expressed his disapproval of the treatment of Argentina's travelling fans by Brazilian security officials. Messi stood in support of the Argentina fans following the outbreak of violence just before the highly anticipated match in Rio de Janeiro on November 22.
In response to fighting in the stands during the national anthems, Brazilian police charged Argentinian fans. Amid the crowd trouble, a fan with injuries was carried off the field on a stretcher, causing panic among the spectators. Some fans resorted to ripping seats off the stands and hurling them at the police, while a few sought refuge by running onto the pitch. Rio police reported the arrest of eight people in connection with the brawl.
The Argentina players appeared stunned as the Brazilian police forcefully tried to stop the confrontations among the fans. In response, Messi and his teammates exited the field and returned to their changing rooms while security officials brought the situation under control. After a 27-minute interruption, the game kicked off, resulting in Argentina clinching a 1-0 win against Brazil. This marked the hosts' third consecutive loss in the ongoing World Cup qualifying campaign.
Before the commencement of the game, Messi engaged in a heated argument with Rodyrgo as tensions peaked in the high-voltage match.
"Great victory in the Maracaná although it will be marked by the repression of the Argentinians once again in Brazil. This can't be tolerated, it's insane and it needs to end now!!," Messi wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post.
Following the historic win, Messi and his teammates walked towards the section of the stands where the crowd disturbance occurred and celebrated with the Argentina fans there. The celebration and victory lap at the iconic venue lasted nearly 10 minutes as Argentina expressed gratitude to the fans for their support.
'THE MATCH WAS SECONDARY'
When questioned about why he led the Argentina players off the field amid the crowd disturbance, the legendary player explained that the team's primary concern was the safety of their fans, emphasising that the match itself became "secondary."
In the end, Argentina effectively managed their emotions and secured a 1-0 victory and handed Brazil their first-ever home defeat in a World Cup qualifier. Nicolas Otamendi netted the sole goal of the match, allowing Argentina to maintain their lead in the standings.
"The truth is that this group continues to achieve historic things, once again. Obviously, at the beginning, it was bad because we saw how they were beating people," Messi added.
"You think about the family, the people who are there, who don't know what's going on and we are more concerned about that than playing a match. At that point the match was secondary. After that, winning this game like this I think is one of the most important wins that this group has achieved.
"It is something very nice to be able to win here in Brazil, after how strong they have been at home throughout their history," Messi concluded.
Dropping to the sixth position, Brazil secured the final spot that assures them a place in the 2026 World Cup, trailing Argentina by 8 points.
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