Fernando Romero Nuñez 
Argentina’s men’s national football team beat Brazil 1-0 this Tuesday in the sixth fixture of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. In a heated and hard fought game in the Maracana stadium, the Albiceleste got an iconic win and remains at the top of the tournament.
The game had a troubled start, as shortly before the game, the Rio de Janeiro police violently went after Argentine fans. The incident started as some Albiceleste fans reacted violently to Brazilians booing over the Argentine anthem, insulting and throwing chairs at them.
As soon as the conflict broke out, the Rio police quickly started cracking down on the Argentines, in similar fashion to what happened to Boca fans in the build up to the Copa Libertadores final.
The Argentine players tried to intervene, with Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez attempting to climb over the ad boards to stand between fans and the police. However, they eventually decided to leave the field, refusing to play until fan safety was assured
When the game finally got underway, the heated atmosphere had transferred to the pitch. The first half was hard fought and very physical, with both teams struggling to make their mark.
Argentina suffered from sloppy passing and lacked creativity to make the most of its time on the ball, while Brazil proved reactive and more focused on breaking down the Albiceleste’s game.
Roles reversed in the second half, with Brazil taking the game to Argentina. The Verdeamarelha had the best chance of the game just 12 minutes in, when a quick counter fell to the feet of forward Gabriel Martinelli, but “Dibu” Martínez made another big save.
Brazil’s attacking intent opened up the game, and Argentina would get a key corner kick from a counter in the 61st minute. Albiceleste midfielder Giovani Lo Celso curled up a cross which defender Nicolás Otamendi emphatically met with a header to score the opener.
The goal drove Brazil increasingly desperate. Joelinton de Lira was sent off for a hit on Argentina’s Rodrigo de Paul with 9 minutes left to play. Lionel Scaloni’s team dug its heels in and managed to see off the result.
This was the first time Brazil has lost a home game in the South American Qualifiers in its 65 game history. This was also Argentina’s second consecutive win at the mythical Maracanã Stadium after its 2021 Copa América win.
After the game, the players celebrated with the fans, bringing back the 2014 World Cup hit “Brasil, decime que se siente” (Brazil, tell me how it feels), while the fans also took the occasion to pay tribute to Ángel “Fideo” Di María, who announced he’ll retire from the national team after the 2024 Copa América.
“This team keeps getting historic results,” said Lionel Messi after the game. “Maybe today wasn’t the biggest we’ve done, but it was still very nice.” The Argentine captain had to come out in the 78th minute with some discomfort in his right abductor.
“We left for the dressing rooms because we felt that was the way to calm things down,” added Messi about the incidents before the game. “We checked on our families and friends, and then we came back.”
With this result, Argentina stays at the top of the South American Qualifiers positions, with 15 points. Uruguay comes in second with 13, while Colombia is third with 12. Brazil drops to 6th, the last automatic qualification spot.
The qualifiers will return in September 2024, with Argentina hosting Chile at a stadium yet to be determined.
