Football governing body FIFA has opened a disciplinary investigation into the Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifier which was abandoned amid farcical circumstances.
“FIFA regrets the scenes preceding the suspension of the match between Brazil and Argentina for the [South American confederation] CONMEBOL qualifiers … which prevented millions of fans from enjoying a match between two of the most important football nations in the world,” it said Monday.
“The first match reports have been sent to FIFA. This information will be analysed by the competent disciplinary bodies and a decision will be taken in due course.”
Six minutes after kick-off in Sao Paulo the game was halted as workers from the health authority Anivsa attempted to remove UK-based Argentina players for allegedly breaching coronavirus quarantine rules.
Respeito entre dois gigantes! 👊🏾
All respect between Ney and Messi! 👊🏾#neymar #neymarjr #njr #seleçãobrasileira #brasil #argentina #messi #eliminatorias #worldcupqualifiers pic.twitter.com/YsvKBFVQku
— Neymar Jr Site (@NeymarJrSite) September 6, 2021
Anivsa had said shortly before the game that Premier League quartet Emiliano Martinez, Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Emiliano Buendia had been ordered to quarantine due to their presence in Britain – a red list country in Brazil — within the past 14 days.