World Cup qualifiers: Argentina beats Brazil 1-0 to go top of table

Many fans came to the Maracana Stadium on Tuesday to watch Lionel Messi in his likely last match in Brazil, a superclasico in World Cup qualifying against the hosts. Instead, they saw Nicolás Otamendi score the only goal in a 1-0 win for Argentina after a brawl between fans that delayed the start of the game.

The World Cup champions inflicted the first home defeat on Brazil ever in World Cup qualifying. It was Brazil’s third consecutive loss in the round-robin tournament — another negative mark for new coach Fernando Diniz.

Messi left the pitch in the 78th minute amid a mixture of jeers and applause from Brazil fans. Dozens of children arrived at the Maracana wearing the shirts of Barcelona, the star’s previous club, and Inter Miami.

The Argentine star wasn’t able to end one of his last barriers in the sport at the Maracana, though, to score against the Brazilians in a World Cup qualifier._Agencies.