On Tuesday,the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina faced a 30-minute delay at Maracana Stadium due to intense clashes between police and visiting fans.
A fight broke out behind behind one of the goals during the national anthems, prompting Brazilian police to intervene with drawn night sticks.
In retaliation, some Argentina fans tore up seats and threw them at the officers causing causing panic among nearby fans who sought refuge on the pitch.
Videos circulating on social media also showed some fans fighting among themselves.
A distressed Argentina fan, with a bloodied face, lay on the pitch and was later carried out on a stretcher.
Captain Lionel Mess and his team went over to the terraces in an attempt to calm the situation before eventually leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room where they waited for more than 15 minutes.
Read Also: Euro2024: France Demolish Gibraltar With a 14-0 Historic Win
The match resumed when security officials successfully separated and relocated the visiting Argentina fans to a designated section of the stands.
At half-time, there was nothing to separate the two teams, but Nicolas Otamendi put Argentina ahead in the 63rd minute.
Otamendi’s decisive strike remained the only goal of the match, securing a crucial away victory for Argentina.
Subscribe to Switch TV for more exciting content
This latest loss, is a third straight defeat for five-times World Cup winners- Brazil.
