An unbelievable scene unfolded in Maracanã. The Brazil-Argentina match didn’t kick off at the scheduled time due to chaos in the gallery. The British media outlet The Guardian reported the chaos during the live coverage of the match, citing the commentary from Brazil’s Globo TV. They mentioned, “Argentina’s national anthem started, and Brazil supporters started booing. The Argentina team and the Maracanã crowd tried to calm the situation. Then, after Messi (Argentina) and the rest of the team left the field, the trouble began.”
Police resorted to baton charging in a section of Maracanã. Tim Vickery, a South American football correspondent for ESPN, posted on his social media ‘Ex’ (former Twitter), “Unbelievable scene in Maracanã. Police have baton-charged Argentine supporters during Brazil’s national anthem. Situation out of control. Argentine players have left the field.”
In the match’s direct footage, Messi is seen leaving the field with a stern face. At that time, there was a scuffle between the police and the supporters in the gallery. Videos depict fans attempting to throw chairs at the police in the gallery. Meanwhile, Brazil’s players were standing on the field, and officials were present.
The match was scheduled to begin at 6 AM according to Bangladesh Standard Time. The Argentine team returned to the field after nearly half an hour’s delay. The tension was visible even after the match started. Two Brazilians, Gabriel Jesus and Rafinha, received yellow cards just 15 minutes before halftime.
