Amid the violence on the pitch and the stands, it was easy to overlook the piece of history Argentina created at the home of their rivals Brazil, the mythologial Maracana, on the night of November 21, 2023, in the FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL qualifiers. Beaten for the first time at home in the FIFA qualifiers, Brazil's ignominy was increased tenfold due to the fact that was their bitterest rivals who had handed them the defeat. (Pics | Football News)
Speaking to the media after the match, a livid Lionel Messi called out the violence that occurred in the stands, how it was not a one-off thing, and how the police's involvement in the situation made it worse.
“Tonight we made history but it’s important to say that it’ll be marked by the repression of Brazilians against Argentinians once again," he said after the match. “It can’t be accepted. It’s madness. It had to stop immediately."
“We saw how the police were hitting people also with some of our families here — it also happened in the Libertadores final," Messi added. “They are more focused on that than on playing the game. We are a family. We decided to play to make situation more calm”.
While the fallout of the violence is yet to transform into actionable intent, Argentina will, at least, return home with a historic result in the bag. The Albiceleste, reigning world champions, struck half hour from time through Nicolas Otamendi, standing tall over the ten-men Brazil in a fury-filled encounter.
