(VIDEO) What happened to Messi? The image that worried Argentina in Brazil

The matches between Argentina and Brazil are usually duels in which there is more at stake than the three points. There is a decades-old rivalry between them, and that is why players from both teams have long looked forward to the opportunity to star in these matches. They know that, if they show good performances and help their team to victory, the fans will not forget it for many years.

Tuesday's match at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro is no exception. Brazil and Argentina are in need of a win to turn the page and put the defeats against Colombia and Uruguay, respectively, behind them. And not only that. It is also a good opportunity to take three key points in the standings of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

After the conflicts before kick-off between the Argentine fans and the Brazilian police, that tension was transferred to the field. Both teams fought more than they played and that made for a lot of fouls and few dangerous situations in the boxes. Perhaps the only dangerous chance during the first half was a shot by Gabriel Martinelli that Cristian Romero saved on the line, when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was already out of reach.

One of the reasons why Argentina had no dangerous situations is because Lionel Messi did not have much participation in the game. The hard marking of the rival players prevented him from receiving the ball, but also a physical problem. Twice during the first half he went to the bench and asked the medical team to massage his right leg, as he had a muscular problem. This worried Argentine fans, who feared losing their biggest star.

What will Scaloni do?

The Argentine coach will have to decide during the break whether to keep Messi on the field and run the risk of injury, or to replace him. The options he has on the bench are Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala or Lautaro Martinez.