A heated brawl erupted in the stands of Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro just before Lionel Messi's World Cup qualifier match on Tuesday night.
The scuffle began during the national anthems for Brazil and Argentina, escalating into a large and bloody fracas between fans of both teams.
Shocking video footage captured the chaos, with grown men covered in blood and tearful children witnessing the violence.
Authorities had to intervene, using batons to control the situation as the brawl threatened to spiral out of control.
Messi and other players on the pitch approached the fighting fans, pleading for calm, but ultimately, the Argentine team left the field.
After a delay of roughly half an hour, Messi's team returned to play, eventually defeating Brazil 1-0.
Despite the victory, Messi had to exit the game early due to a groin injury sustained during the match.
In a post-game statement, Messi expressed gratitude that the stand-off didn't escalate further, acknowledging the potential for a disaster.
With this win, Argentina now leads the World Cup qualifying standings, while Brazil finds itself in sixth place.
The incident highlights the intensity and passion surrounding soccer matches, emphasizing the need for security measures to prevent such violent outbreaks in the future.