Brazil do not want to play the suspended World Cup qualifier against Argentina due to risks ahead of Qatar 2022, with the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) to rule later in August.
The Selecao, along with the Albiceleste, both comfortably qualified for Qatar 2022, although September’s match in Sao Paulo was stopped after six minutes when Brazilian medics objected to the participation of four Argentine players who they said had breached quarantine rules.
The officials sensationally entered the pitch to remove the four players, and the Argentine players subsequently left amid the chaos. The device has been suspended.
FIFA fined both national bodies, insisting that qualification must be completed despite being irrelevant to qualification.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) have submitted the case to CAS, which will rule later this month.
FIFA has not set a date for the match, but it is believed to be in September.
CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said the national team did not want to play the match two months after the World Cup because of the risk of injury and suspension, along with a possible Argentine boycott.
“We will appeal to FIFA to have this match not played,” Rodrigues said in a statement.
“I will do my best to respond to the request of our coaching staff.
“Our priority is to win the sixth World Cup in Qatar. If this match is not recommended by the Selecao coaching staff, we will advocate for it not to be played.”
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