Rio de Janeiro, November 22 : Lionel Messi expressed dissatisfaction with the crowd’s behavior and the alleged actions of the Brazilian police during the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers match between Argentina and Brazil. The incident led to Messi leading his team off the field after a brawl erupted among fans from both sides at Rio’s Maracana Stadium.
The match was halted for 27 minutes as Messi and his teammates conveyed to the Brazilian team that they would not resume play until order was restored in the stands.
🚨 Lionel Messi and the Argentina team walking towards the Argentina fans that are getting hit by security.pic.twitter.com/l6V7BAneyM
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) November 22, 2023
Video footage captured Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez confronting Brazilian police, who were reportedly beating fans from Argentina. Another video showed Messi and other Argentine players intervening to prevent further mistreatment of their supporters.
A fight has broken out and Argentina fans are getting hit by security.pic.twitter.com/hy2wW6bZiu
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) November 22, 2023
Martinez, incensed by the police’s actions, attempted to enter the stands by leaping over the barricades to protect the fans. However, match officials and security personnel prevented him from doing so.
Police at the scene used batons to disperse clashes between fans of both teams, resulting in seats being thrown and injuring at least one spectator who left the stadium with a head injury.
🚨 Lionel Messi waving no as he and Argentina leave the pitch.pic.twitter.com/aKxvgDRV7Q
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) November 22, 2023
After a 22-minute hiatus in the dressing room, Argentina returned to the field and warmed up for an additional three minutes before the game resumed. The match, attended by a full capacity of 69,000 spectators in Rio de Janeiro, saw Brazilian fans initially applauding and jeering Messi before the altercation, after which they chanted against him upon his return to the pitch.
Prior to the match, many Brazilian fans had shown appreciation for the Argentine star, with numerous children wearing Messi jerseys from his previous clubs, Barcelona and Inter Miami.
In the South American World Cup qualifying standings, Argentina leads with 12 points from five matches, while Brazil holds the fifth position. Both teams had suffered defeats in their previous games in the round-robin competition involving ten teams.
