The Football governing body FIFA have charged Argentina and Brazil with disciplinary actions after fan violence in stands halted the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier game at Maracana. Notably, the Brazil vs Argentina clash was delayed by 30 minutes late after visiting fans got in an altercation with Brazil police.
FIFA has charged the Argentine football federation with crowd disturbances and the late start in Rio de Janeiro.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian federation has been charged for failing to manage the security in the game.
“FIFA can confirm that its Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA),” FIFA said in a statement on Friday.
The tussle between Argentina fans and Brazil police errupted after the fans were seen causing chaos during the national anthem.
Brazilian police then took the violent action against the Argentinian fans which led to further chaos in the stadium.
The incident saw Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez walking to the stand and stopping the police from hitting the fans.
Lionel Messi was then seen taking his World Cup-winning team back to the dressing room. However, the players re-emerged on the pitch after a delay of 30 minutes and the match eventually got underway. Argentina went on to win the game 1-0 against their arch-rivals. Nicolas Otamendi was the lone scorer of the match.