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Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 on Tuesday in a shifting 2026 World Cup qualifier clash, marred by pre-match riots that forced a delayed kickoff.
A 63rd minute header from veteran defender Nicolás Otamendi secured victory for Argentina as the world champions bounced back from last week’s defeat to Uruguay to beat their bitter South American rivals.
The victory at Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium puts Argentina atop the South American standings with 15 points from six games.
Brazil’s third defeat in the qualifying phase puts the five-time world champions in sixth position, with seven draws in six games.
Tempers flared in the stands at the Maracanã moments before kick-off, with Brazilian police using batons to push a block of Argentine fans to one end of the field.
Several Argentine players surrendered to the riots in an obvious attempt to call for calm, and at one point goalkeeper Emi Martinez tried to jump into the room to confront a Brazilian policeman wielding a baton.
The Argentine players coached by Lionel Messi returned to their locker rooms as the clashes continued, with Messi appearing saying, “We’re playing, we’re leaving. “
The 2022 World Cup champions reappeared on the pitch shortly before 10:00 p. m. local time, and the match started a while later, about 30 minutes after the scheduled start time.
The pre-training frenzy swept through the pitch as the game nonetheless began, with Arsenal’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus receiving a yellow card just five minutes after his clash with Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul.
– Tense atmosphere –
The tense nature of the festival continued during a lackluster first half, with neither team creating many scoring chances in a game plagued by unsightly fouls.
Brazilian winger Raphinha earned a yellow card in the 14th minute for throwing an arm in De Paul’s face, and was lucky not to receive a second yellow card five minutes later after shocking Alexis MacAllister with a wild challenge.
Meanwhile, Brazil failed to score a single shot, on target or wide, until a free kick from Raphinha in the 38th minute deflected for a corner.
The only penalty kick on either side in the entire first half came in the 44th minute, when Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli deflected a cushioned clearance from Argentine goalkeeper Martinez into the goal.
Martinelli’s shot headed into the net, Argentina breathed a sigh of relief after defender Cristian Romero blocked the shot on the line.
Brazil seized the moment in more positive fashion, with Raphinha blocking a shot near the post via Martinez after 54 minutes.
Martinez then held Argentina back down, deflecting Martinelli’s shot after a Gabriel run.
But Brazil was rocked after Argentina took the lead in the 63rd minute with their first goal of the match.
Giovani Lo Celso fired in from the left and the 35-year-old Otamendi beat Brazilian midfielder André to make it 1-0.
A dismal night for Brazil came to a head in the 82nd minute when substitute Joelinton, who had only been on the field for 12 minutes, was sent off for an off-the-ball collision with De Paul.
RAA/RCW/BB