'Hell of a mess' - Neymar claims he would have been 'hit a lot' during bad-tempered Brazil vs Argentina clash as injured Al-Hilal superstar reacts to 'hot' atmosphere at Maracana

Brazil lost 1-0 to Argentina at the Maracana in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, with Nicolas Otamendi grabbing the winning goal. Meetings between the old rivals are always fiery affairs, but pre-match violence inside the stadium involving supporters and Brazilian police added fuel to the fire. Neymar missed the match due to his ACL injury, but claimed he would have been targeted had he played.

In his Instagram Story, Neymar said: "Good game, classic, hot game. I was going to get hit a lot in that game, but I was going to make a hell of a mess." Neymar suffered an ACL injury while playing for Brazil in October, just months after he left Paris Saint-Germain to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

Chaos erupted during the singing of the national anthems as unsegregated Brazil and Argentina fans began fighting. Brazilian police left several Argentine fans injured when trying to subdue supporters, leading Lionel Messi and his team-mates to head over to the stand to check on their safety. Argentina ultimately earned their first-ever away win in Brazil in a World Cup qualifier and inflicted a third straight defeat on their bitter rivals.

Neymar still has a long road ahead of him before he returns to action, although he should be back before Brazil's next World Cup qualifier in September next year. Brazil have won just two of their six qualifiers so far but will turn their attention to a friendly against England at Wembley in March.