Argentina got an early taste of what to expect from their Brazilian hosts at the World Cup when they were welcomed with jeers and whistles in their first open practice session on Wednesday.
Some 5,000 fans attended the session in Belo Horizonte’s Independencia stadium with the locals giving their fierce rivals a noisy reception ahead of the tournament start on Thursday.
The decibel levels reached those of a competitive match when Argentina came out onto the pitch but the players, including Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, kept their cool and briefly waved to their own fans in the crowd before turning their focus to their training.
Argentina, who along with Brazil are the South American favourites to lift the trophy, kick off their tournament against Bosnia on Sunday.