Lionel Messi, the captain of the Argentine national team, launched a sharp attack on the Brazilian police following the events that preceded the Super Clásico match, stressing that the Seleção could no longer keep up with the tango and compensated for this by attacking the Argentine fans.
The start of the Argentina-Brazil match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was delayed for half an hour after Messi's teammates withdrew due to Brazilian police assaulting Argentine fans at the Maracanã Stadium.
After the crisis was resolved, the Argentine players returned and played the match, and coach Lionel Scaloni's squad succeeded in winning 1-0 and staying at the top of the South American qualifiers standings for the 2026 World Cup.
After the match, Messi spoke about what happened, saying, "We saw how the police beat our fans, and we had some families among these fans. This also happened previously in the Copa Libertadores final."
He also added, "They are focusing on that more than playing the match. We are one family and we decided to play the match to make the situation calmer."
The Inter Miami star continued, "We made history today, but it is important for everyone to see the oppression practiced by Brazilians against the Argentines again."
He concluded, "This cannot be accepted. It is madness and must stop immediately."
Boca Juniors fans were also attacked by the police, as Messi said, during the Copa Libertadores final at the Maracana Stadium against Fluminense, in the match that the Brazilian club won by two goals to one.
It is noteworthy that Messi quarreled with Brazilian players more than once, and the most prominent moments were with Real Madrid star Rodrigo, who called the flea and his teammates “cowards.”
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