This archive report was first published on 6 September 2021.
Brazil-Argentina Match Stopped When Health Officials Storm Field ¶
On Sunday, a World Cup qualification match between Brazil and Argentina was halted after only a few minutes of play. The reason for the sudden stoppage was a dispute over coronavirus quarantine regulations.
According to local regulations, foreign travelers who had spent time in Britain in the previous 14 days are required to quarantine upon arrival in Brazil. Four members of Argentina's roster, including three starters who play club soccer in England's Premier League, were accused of violating these regulations.
Health officials from Brazil's Anvisa agency entered the field minutes into the highly anticipated match and ordered Argentina's players off the field. The officials claimed that the Argentine players had lied about being in England on forms when they entered Brazil.
Argentina's team had arrived in Brazil on Friday morning with four England-based players. All of the players had first traveled to Venezuela, where Argentina played an earlier qualification game last week, before arriving in Brazil three days ago.
Images of the chaotic scene were beamed live around the world, showing health officials and some of the Argentina players involved in a brief altercation before the team returned to its locker room. The on-field discussions eventually involved officials from both teams and stars like Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The match's referee eventually suspended the game. Once Argentina retreated to its locker room, Brazil's players waited on the field before beginning an improvised training session using half of the field to entertain the stunned crowd.
CONMEBOL, South America's regional soccer body, announced the game had been abandoned about an hour after play had first been suspended. The decision to abandon the game was the referee's, but FIFA had final authority over the matches.
Argentina's coach, Lionel Scaloni, questioned the timing of the health officials' raid, saying the team had not been notified that it could not field the British-based players. The president of Argentina's soccer federation, Claudio Tapia, disputed the accusation that any of the team's players had lied about their travel.
Published on September 6, 2021, at 3:58 AM.
