Argentine law enforcement officials arrested at least 15 individuals in Buenos Aires late Sunday night after riots broke out following Argentina’s defeat at the FIFA World Cup final.
According to local outlets, the incident occurred around midnight (local time) at Buenos Aires’ Obelisk, the city’s central plaza and a location that has historically served as the main gathering point for fans of Argentina’s national soccer team to celebrate the team’s victories.
Argentina, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions, lost the 2026 final against Spain after Ferran Torres scored a deadlock-breaking goal at the match’s 106th minute, leading his country to a thrilling 1-0 extra time win.
The Argentine outlet Infobae reports that Sunday night first saw a peaceful gathering of Argentine fans — including families with children — at the Obelisk in the aftermath of the World Cup final match to express their support to the Argentine national team.
The gathering turned sour minutes before midnight after rioters began throwing objects at the police and attempted to breach a protective fence, leading to intense clashes between the group and law enforcement.
Infobae detailed that rioters began threw glass bottles and other objects to law enforcement agents, who responded to the violence with tear gas. Additionally, a riot police water cannon truck moved through the nearby streets to disperse the rioters and reduce their numbers.
The advance of law enforcement through not just dispersed the riots, but brought the initially peaceful gathering to an end within twenty minutes. Argentine outlets broadcasted footage of the riots locally and published it on social media.
At least 15 individuals were reportedly arrested as of the early morning hours of Monday. The majority of the scattered rioters reportedly managed to flee across several directions. Infobae, citing official police information, reported that seven Argentine police officials suffered multiple injuries during the clashes.
The outlet noted that several civilians were injured during the clashes — including a man who was kicked in the face by another person who ran past. The injured man was reportedly carried away by some of the participating rioters.
According to the Argentine news channel Todo Nocicias, prior to the riots, the mood at the Obelisk was described as full of “sadness and pride” over Argentina’s defeat at the World Cup final.
“The fans sang and jumped to the beat of the bass drums, paying special tribute to Lionel Messi, who appeared frustrated following the defeat at MetLife Stadium,” Todo Noticias reported.
Todo Noticias reported that there were other gatherings across several other Buenos Aires neighborhoods on Sunday in addition to the main one at the Obelisk. At press time, there are not reports of episodes of violence in the other gatherings listed by Todo Noticias.