The World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Brazil was suspended after seven minutes of play as Brazilian health officials came onto the pitch with intentions to deport four Argentina players. The four – Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, Giovanni Lo Celso and Cristian Romero – from the English Premier League had been ordered to quarantine by Brazil’s health agency ahead of the match. Despite that order, three of the four started for Argentina. They had  allegedly lied to immigration officers that they had not recently been to the United Kingdom. 

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Argentina tweeted that the game, which was at 0-0, would not resume.

However, if the match is cancelled, reports as cited by the Sportsbible suggest that Argentina will be awarded the three points. South American football governing body CONMEBOL has reportedly threatened to give Argentina a win if their players were stopped from playing. 

None of the reports have concrete justification for this claim. 

Antonio Barra Torres, the president of Brazil’s health agency, said four Argentina players will be fined and deported for allegedly not following the country’s COVID-19 protocols.

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 The Premier League did not want players to be released for international duty due to the need to quarantine for 10 days in a hotel on their return. Now they have been caught up in Brazilian quarantine restrictions.

Martinez, Romero and Lo Celso started the match. Buendia was not included in the squad.

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“Why did they start the game and stop it after five minutes? We’ve been here at the stadium for an hour, they could have told us,” Argentine skipper Lionel Messi said in comments heard on television, as per Reuters. 

“The referee and the match official will take a report to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and they will decide what steps to take,” said a statement issued by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).