November 25, (THEWILL) – Football’s governing body, FIFA, has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and Argentinian Football Association (AFA) following chaotic scenes, which delayed the start of a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The incident occurred ahead of Tuesday’s match between rivals Brazil and Argentina at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracanã stadium, which the visitors won 1-0.
The match kick-off was delayed by around 30 minutes after fights broke out between rival fans inside the stadium. Brazil captain Lionel Messi led his Argentinian side off the pitch as chaos engulfed the venue, returning only once order had been restored. Baton-wielding police were forced to intervene, leaving some fans bloodied and injured.
In a statement, FIFA confirmed potential breaches of Article 17 by Brazil – relating to order and security at matches – and cited Argentina for “crowd disturbance” and the “delayed kick-off”. Both national associations now risk fines or matches being played behind closed doors or with partial stadium closure.
The shocking scenes did not affect Argentina’s dominance on the pitch. The South American champions secured a first-ever away victory over Brazil in World Cup qualifying to extend their lead at the top of the standings with 15 points from six games. In contrast, defeat leaves Brazil down in sixth place on seven points from their opening six matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
