Football: Clashes between Argentinian and Brazilian supporters “have no place in sport”, judges Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned on Wednesday the clashes between supporters which delayed the “superclasico” between Brazil and Argentina in Rio de Janeiro the day before by almost thirty minutes.

“There is absolutely no place for violence in football, on or off the field,” wrote the world football boss on his Instagram account, in English, Spanish and Portuguese. “Such events”, as during the Brazil-Argentina qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup, “have no place in our sport or society”, continues the Italian-Swiss leader. Before inflicting on the Brazilians the first home defeat in their history in qualifying for a World Cup (1-0), the Argentines returned to the locker room after the national anthems, when a fight broke out in the stands before being repressed. by forceful police intervention.

The Argentine team returned when the situation calmed down in the stands, and the kick-off, initially scheduled for 9:30 p.m. at the Maracana stadium (00:30 GMT Wednesday), was given half an hour late. “Without exception, all players, supporters, team management and officials must be safe to play and enjoy football, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this principle is respected at all levels” , concluded Gianni Infantino.

Asked by AFP, Fifa explained on Wednesday that it had not yet opened a disciplinary investigation - a process which generally requires more time, since the body must receive and study the detailed report of the match.