Since the early days of football, few rivalries have matched the magnitude and spectacle of Brazil vs. Argentina. So when the two giants clashed once again on Tuesday night, expectations were high for another fierce, end-to-end battle between South America’s finest. The match delivered, with Argentina claiming bragging rights in a commanding 4-1 victory.
As expected, the World Cup qualifier - where Argentina have already secured their spot at the top of the group - was filled with heated exchanges between both sets of players. However, neutral fans may not be aware of the growing tensions surrounding Raphinha and his Argentine neighbours. The Barcelona forward, a leading contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or, found himself on the receiving end of relentless physical battles throughout the game. Watch one such incident below:
Following Argentina’s emphatic win, members of the world champions’ squad didn’t hold back in criticising the Brazilian. But beneath all the drama, there’s a reason for the hostility.
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The Aston Villa goalkeeper was up to his usual meddling ways as Argentina thumped Brazil on Tuesday night.
Raphinha's Argentina Animosity Explained
The winger spoke far too soon as Brazil were humiliated
Raphinha confronts Argentina players
The bad blood between Raphinha and Argentina stems from the winger's confidence heading into the game that Brazil would win seeing that Lionel Messi was injured. In an interview with compatriot Romario, the former Leeds United winger sent a stark warning to his rivals. He said, as per the Daily Mail:
"We will beat them, no doubt. On and off the pitch, if we have to..."
In the same conversation, Romario asked Raphinha if he was going to "f*** them", to which he replied: "f*** them." His X-rated prediction didn't go down too well with the Argentina players, who were quick to remind the Brazilian of the scoreline upon the final whistle.
How Argentina Players Responded
They have been quick to humble Raphinha
Emiliano Martinez Argentina
Raphinha was inevitably the focal point for much of the ire, with Argentina fans chanting "sub off Raphinha, you son of a b***h" and Enzo Fernandez telling him he "talks too much" in one particularly angry exchange. Goalscorer Julian Alvarez, who has been linked to Liverpool in recent weeks, also addressed his La Liga rivals' comments indirectly, saying:
“Maybe with Leo Messi on the pitch we might have scored 2/3 more goals”
Elsewhere, Nicolas Otamendi joined in on the action, as he could be seen telling the Barcelona star to "talk less". Watch the incident below:
Brazil captain Marquinhos took a much more levelheaded approach to the damning loss, as he apologised to the Brazil fans and avoided getting involved with the ongoing feud. "What we did here today can't happen again," he told Brazilian TV Globo. It's hard to talk about it in the heat of the moment... It's embarrassing.
"We started the game very badly, far below what we could do and they're on a great run of confidence. They knew how to play smart... I'm sorry for our fans. It's not just the coach's fault... It's the players' fault too, there's no secret formula in football where you make a choice and it works out. We can all do better. We have to share the blame."