Soccer-Argentina hand Brazil third straight loss after crowd trouble at Maracana

Soccer Football - World Cup - South American Qualifiers - Brazil v Argentina - Estadio Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - November 21, 2023 Argentina's Lionel Messi in action with Brazil's Andre REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Nicolas Otamendi scored with a towering header to give Argentina a 1-0 away win over Brazil in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifier that was delayed by half an hour on Tuesday after police clashed with fans at a sold-out Maracana Stadium.

The longstanding sporting rivalry between two of the most successful teams in world soccer hit fever pitch after the Brazilian police charged Argentinian fans in response to fighting in the stands during the national anthems.