Argentina hand Brazil third straight loss after crowd violence delay in Rio

Trouble erupts in stands during national anthems at Maracanã.

UGLY SCENES: Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi celebrates their victory at the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualification football match between Brazil and Argentina at Maracana Stadium. Pic: DANIEL RAMALHO/AFP via Getty Images

Nicolás Otamendi scored with a towering header to give Argentina a 1-0 away win over Brazil in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifier that was delayed by half an hour on Tuesday after police clashed with fans at a sold-out Maracanã Stadium.

The rivalry between two of the most successful teams in world football spilled over into violence after Brazilian police charged Argentina fans in response to fighting in the stands during the national anthems. 

Visiting supporters responded by ripping up and throwing seats at the officers. Fans near the trouble panicked and came on to the pitch to escape the fighting. At least one injured fan was taken from the stadium on a stretcher.

The world champions, led by their captain, Lionel Messi, went over to the terraces to try to calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room for more than 10 minutes.

The players eventually returned and the match started in a tumult of noise as home fans roared their support of the five-times world champions, who were looking to get their campaign back on track after losing successive qualifiers for the first time.

Instead, they slipped to a third straight defeat, their first ever at home in a World Cup qualifier, to stand sixth in the standings, eight points behind the leaders, Argentina, and in the last spot that guarantees a berth at the 2026 finals.

“The truth is that this group continues to achieve historic things, once again,” said Messi. “Obviously, at the beginning it was bad because we saw how they were beating people. 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.” 

It was a nervy first half with 22 fouls, three bookings and several skirmishes as rival players frequently faced off and the referee brandished cards in an attempt to calm the situation.

Brazil were arguably the better side and almost scored from a corner just before half-time through a Gabriel Martinelli strike that the defender Cristian Romero cleared off the goalline.

Despite being without key players such as Vinícius Jr and Neymar because of injuries and losing their captain, Marquinhos, to a leg problem halfway through the game, Brazil kept up the pressure. They wasted a golden opportunity to score in the 47th minute when Martinelli missed an absolute sitter, striking a close-range shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Argentina held on and made the most of one of the few chances they created in the 63rd minute, when the defender Otamendi rose high to power home a Giovani Lo Celso corner. 

It was Argentina’s only shot on target and Brazil’s misery was compounded when the substitute midfielder Joelinton was sent off for hitting Rodrigo de Paul in the face in the 82nd minute, only three minutes after he came off the bench.

The world champions handed their fiercest rivals a third consecutive loss as Brazil came into the match having conceded back-to-back defeats in World Cup qualifiers for the first time in their history.