Raphinha says Brazil will ‘beat up Argentina on and off pitch if we have to’ in World Cup qualifier

Brazil forward Raphinha has said that the team will “beat up arch-rivals Argentina… on the pitch and off the pitch if we have to” in their highly-anticipated clash on Tuesday. The comments from the Brazil star will add further fuel to an already-testy battle on the cards as Brazil take on their South American arch-rivals with World Cup qualification on the line.
“We’ll beat them (Argentina) up… Absolutely! Beat them up! On the pitch and off the pitch if we have to,” Raphinha said in an interview with Brazilian legend Romario on “Romario TV”.
“For sure I’m going to (score a goal against Argentina). I’m going in with everything I’ve got…”
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The Brazil vs Argentina game in Buenos Aires will be Raphinha’s first game in Argentina since 2021 when he was elbowed in the mouth home defender Nicolas Otamendi. That injury needed him to get five stitches.
Reuters reported that Raphinha’s comments sparked anger in Argentina, where the partisan media interpreted his comments as a threat.
Meanwhile, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni tried his best to douse the flames and talk down the intense rivalry between the two football-mad neighbours.
“Warriors on the pitch, good friends off of it,” he said during a pre-game press conference on Monday. Story continues below this ad
He was asked if he was aware of the comments made the Brazilian player.
“I didn’t go much deeper into players’ statements but I’m aware of it. Argentina versus Brazil is an important match but it is still a football match. It doesn’t have to go beyond that. I remember the image of Leo (Messi) with Neymar after the Copa America final on the steps of the Maracana, that’s the image we have to keep. The best in the world and probably the second best together, being friends. That’s the image we need. It’s a football match that we both want to win. We all have a Brazilian friend, I know a lot of them, it shouldn’t go beyond that. We don’t have to give it much more thought.”
Brazil have not beaten Argentina in six years, a run that extends to 16 years for matches held in Argentina.
Argentina are the reigning world champions, having won the FIFA World Cup in 2022. They also lead the South American qualifying table with 28 points, six ahead of second-placed Ecuador and seven clear of Brazil in third.Story continues below this ad
If Bolivia fail to beat Uruguay in Tuesday’s earlier match Argentina will be guaranteed a place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada with four games left. Otherwise they can clinch a spot with a draw against Brazil as the top six qualify directly for the tournament.
(With inputs from Reuters)