Tuesday's FIFA World Cup qualifier clash between Brazil and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro took a chaotic turn as violent clashes erupted between the fans and the police, also causing a significant delay in the kickoff. The disturbing scenes unfolded just moments before the scheduled start of what could be Lionel Messi's final match in Brazil.
Tensions escalated when police wielding batons appeared to confront a section of Argentina fans sitting behind one goal. The aggressive response followed altercations between the Argentine supporters and their Brazilian counterparts during the pregame national anthems, which were met with boos.
The clashes resulted in multiple injuries, with at least one fan leaving the stadium on a stretcher and others seen with bleeding head injuries. The upheaval saw dislodged seats being used as weapons, and some fans desperate to escape the chaos resorted to hopping onto the field. The violence prompted concerned Argentine players, including captain Lionel Messi, to intervene in an attempt to restore order.
Despite the players' efforts, the fighting persisted, prompting Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez to try scaling the stands and physically intervene. However, his attempts were thwarted by officers, and he was restrained by teammates. Witnessing the turmoil up close, Argentina players eventually left the field, with Messi reportedly stating, "We're leaving. We can't play in these circumstances."
The players remained in the locker room for approximately 22 minutes, while Brazil's team stayed on the pitch as the unrest continued. After Argentine officials and police worked to resolve the situation, the players returned to the field. Following a brief warmup and a disagreement between Messi and Brazilian forward Rodrygo, the match finally kicked off, 27 minutes later than initially scheduled.
The root cause of the trouble appeared to be inadequate crowd control measures, with Argentine fans placed in a section surrounded by Brazilian supporters on all sides and lacking barriers between them. Typically, away fans are separated from home fans by a robust line of security, but this precaution seemed absent in the heated rivalry match.
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