Brazil does not want to participate in the postponed World Cup qualifier against Argentina because of the risks involved with playing in Qatar in 2022, and the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) will make a decision later in August.
Despite the Sao Paulo match in September being called off after six minutes because Brazilian health officials objected to the participation of four Argentine players who they claimed violated quarantine rules, the Selecao and the Albiceleste both easily qualified for Qatar 2022.
The Argentinian players left amid the commotion as the officials sensationally entered the field to remove those four players. It had been suspended.
FIFA fined both national bodies and insisted that the qualifier needed to be completed despite its irrelevance to qualifying.
The Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) took the case to the CAS, who will rule later this month.
No date has been set by FIFA for the fixture, but it is anticipated it will be in September.
CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said the national team did not want to play the fixture two months out from the World Cup due to risks with injuries and suspensions along with a possible Argentinian boycott.
“We will reach out to FIFA so this match is not played,” Rodrigues said in a statement.
“I will make every effort to answer to the request of our coaching staff.
“Our priority is to win a sixth World Cup in Qatar. If that match is not recommended by the coaching staff of the Selecao, we will work for it not to be played.”
