Many fans came to the Maracana Stadium to watch Lionel Messi in his likely last match in Brazil in World Cup qualifying against the hosts.

Instead, they saw Nicolas 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 amidst a mixture of jeers and applause from Brazil fans. Dozens of children arrived at the Maracana wearing the shirts of Barcelona, 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.

Argentina will return home not only atop the South American qualifying standings but also having given its fans one more chance to celebrate a victory at the historic stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Two years ago, Angel di Maria scored the only goal in an empty Maracana to give his team the Copa America title.

The violent pre-match incident, starting shortly after the national anthems, stalled the start for 27 minutes. Argentina, led by Messi, headed to the locker rooms for 22 minutes. At least one fan left the stadium bleeding from his head. Rio police said they had arrested eight people due to the brawl.

The aggression between fans was reflected on the field in the first 20 minutes of the encounter; the referee gave fouls against Brazil during that time. The tension eased and allowed Argentina to avoid direct confrontation.