There were wild scenes across the country as tens of thousands of fans flocked to the live viewership to watch the Socceroos’ heartbreaking World Cup loss to Argentina on Sunday morning.
Many were well behaved but there were several reports of injuries including a woman who lost a piece of her hair after being hit by a torch and an Argentinian fan who was taken to hospital after being hit in the head with a milk crate had been thrown.
More than 15,000 people packed Melbourne’s Federation Square before kick-off, forcing police to cordon off the area and direct people to the new live site at AAMI Park, which reached its 18,000 capacity shortly after.
The last-minute addition to live-viewing sites across the country – Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour, Sydney – also quickly reached its 25,000 capacity, although NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet did not open one for other World Cup matches.
Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour, Sydney was literally packed to capacity as 20,000 fans flocked to the live spectator area to see the Socceroos
Multiple flares can be seen on Sydney’s live viewing site for the World Cup on Sunday morning
A woman was seen holding the back of her head while a piece of her hair is visibly missing after being hit by a torch
More than 20,000 people crowded into Tumbalong Park to watch the game
Torches were a constant presence at all locations, with one hitting a woman in the back of the head in Sydney, killing her, according to News Corp.
The woman was seen holding her head after several flares were thrown into the crowd.
Several flares were thrown in King George Square, Brisbane. A man was also taken to hospital after being hit in the face with a milk crate
There were also rowdy fans watching from King George Square in Brisbane, where the rowdy crowd threw objects – including a milk crate.
A young man wearing an Argentinian shirt had to be taken by ambulance to the Royal Brisbane Hospital after the box hit him in the face, causing a facial injury.
“The fans were mostly good but one guy got a box thrown at him and he was bleeding, there was a bloodstain on the floor,” Argentina fan Delfina Moresco, who witnessed the incident, told Courier Mail.
“There were some fans who weren’t watching football who were drunk and wanted to see something.”
Scores of fans descended on Brisbane’s King George Square to watch the game, although unfortunately one man had to be taken to hospital after being hit in the head by a milk crate
An Argentine on the Königsplatz was trying to climb the fence as they scored and were hit by a milk crate. immediately decided it wasn’t a good idea 😂 #Soccer
— ausfootball_ (@ausfootball_) December 3, 2022
Shitty behavior by some guys during the game demonstration at King George Square in Brisbane. An Argentinian fan was beaten and bleeding profusely after pointing the finger in the crowd when Messi scored. Luckily, police officers stepped in and escorted him to safety.#ArgentinavsAustralia
— Shloak Prabhu (@ShloakPrabhu9) December 3, 2022
There was a heavy police presence in Federation Square and tens of thousands of people poured out throughout Melbourne’s CBD.
“Australia’s sports capital”, as it is colloquially known, showed itself from its most beautiful side – unfortunately some fans did not.
Torches were of course widely used, even igniting a small fire on the roof of the nearby Transport Bar before kick-off (which was promptly put out by the fire brigade), while footage shows bottles being thrown into the huge crowd.
When police tried to stop a group of men who had started a scuffle, an angry father told the Herald Sun that his 13-year-old son was pepper sprayed at random.
Torches were constantly on display throughout the game in Federation Square – one actually started a small fire on the roof of a nearby bar
15,000 fans packed a packed Federation Square in Melbourne to watch the Socceroos play on the big screen
“Police sprayed face and body by son and his buddies,” he said.
“You’re pretty burned. They were pretty desperate. They couldn’t see. They freaked out.”
“What are the reasons for a child to be pepper sprayed? They were at the back of the crowd to watch football,’ the man said.
Victoria Police are believed to be releasing a statement later in the day on the behavior of the crowd but said they were overall happy with the behavior of the fans.
A handful of arrests have been made, according to the Herald Sun.