Rio de Janeiro – Argentina recorded an historic 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Brazil on Tuesday night at the Maracana Stadium, but the match was overshadowed by ugly crowd trouble that delayed kick-off by 30 minutes.
Rival fans and police were involved in clashes outside the venue, forcing the teams to retreat to the dressing rooms as players like Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez tried to intervene. Order was eventually restored and the game commenced, but the incidents cast a pall on the contest.
On the pitch, Nicolas Otamendi’s 63rd minute header from a Giovani Lo Celso corner gave Argentina the breakthrough for their first ever World Cup qualifying win on Brazilian soil. It was a tightly contested affair, with the hosts having the better chances in the first half. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli was denied by both the crossbar and Martinez as Brazil’s attack probed for an equalizer.
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The loss, Brazil’s third in a row, raises serious questions about their form heading towards the 2026 World Cup.
To compound matters, Newcastle’s Joelinton saw red in the last 10 minutes for violent conduct after he lashed out against Rodrigo De Paul.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi later commented: “We knew it was going to be a tough game…These games are defined by details.”
While Argentina celebrated a historic result, the crowd trouble, Brazil’s third consecutive defeat, and the ugly Joelinton incident capped off an unsavory night for the Brazilians. FIFA is likely to scrutinize the crowd chaos and security arrangements at the stadium.
