One step away from a brawl! Henrikh Mkhitaryan confronts Fluminense head coach after blatant provocation

The incident that sparked the clash could have changed the course of the match.

Details: Yesterday delivered a thrilling showdown between Inter and Fluminense in the Round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup—a match remembered not only for the Champions League finalists’ exit but also for another heated altercation involving Inter’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who nearly came to blows with Fluminense head coach Renato Gaúcho.

The flashpoint occurred in the 46th added minute of the first half, with Inter already trailing 0-1.

After a rapid counterattack, Fluminense’s goalkeeper charged far out of his penalty area to intercept the ball, desperately trying to prevent the Nerazzurri from launching a dangerous attack. Having cleared the ball into touch, the keeper sprinted back towards his goal to avoid leaving it exposed. Sensing an opportunity, Mkhitaryan grabbed the ball for a quick throw-in—an action that would have set Inter up with a nearly open net. But in a split second, Fluminense’s head coach brazenly knocked the ball out of the Armenian’s hands, igniting Mkhitaryan’s fiery temper and setting off the entire Inter bench.

The Inter players’ reaction was immediate: within seconds, both teams rushed in for what nearly became an all-out brawl. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and no one was seriously hurt.

Match referee Ivan Barton issued a yellow card to Renato Gaúcho for unsporting behavior, while Mkhitaryan escaped without a booking.

Reminder: Teammates had to break things up. The Inter–River Plate match ended in an epic brawl