For one night only, Australia’s most iconic cricket ground was transformed into a Latin carnival, full of colour and bright lights.

Fans arrived in their thousands, beating bongo drums and dancing joyously under Melbourne’s clear night sky, as Brazil and Argentina graced the hallowed pitch at the MCG.

This South American rivalry has a reputation for being fierce and adverse. Yet, everywhere you looked, opposing fans were chatting and eating together, anticipating the global superstars who they were about to see.

The pick of the bunch was no doubt the distinguished Lionel Messi, whose name could be seen on the back of several Argentina shirts ambling through the entrance gates.

The famous jerseys - Brazil’s yellow and green, and Argentina’s blue and white – lit up the prestigious and historic stadium, which burst into life 10 minutes before kick-off.

Argentina arrived late for their pre-match warm-up, meaning kick-off was delayed by about 20 minutes.

That didn’t matter, though, as fans were allowed more time to enjoy the festival of football, which had transpired in a city more renowned for tennis and cricket.

As the Brazil squad was announced, roars went up for Premier League stars Philippe Coutinho, Willian and David Luiz.

When the Argentinian names followed, the loudest cheers were reserved for one man. Messi. 

While the players returned to the dressing rooms, the voice of Latin rapper Pitbull blared out of the giant speakers to the tune of “don’t stop the party”.

The party had only just begun.

After a 10-second countdown over the echoing tannoy, the vibrant ground was plunged into darkness. 

For a moment, all that could be seen was an array of yellow lights, glowing from supporter’s mobile phones.

Some fans whistled in jubilation while others simply watched in awe, as strands of green, yellow, blue and white lights swept across the pitch, commencing a stunning light display.

Samba tunes rung through the stands, while clips of Brazil’s talented footballers were displayed on the luminous TV screens at the top of the ground.

Flames spat up from the lower echelons on the pitch and, at times, it was easy to forget that a game was about to take place.

Minutes later the stars of the show returned, making the long walk from the gaping tunnel, located in the corner of the ground, to the middle of the pitch.

As is traditional in international football, the players aligned by the centre circle to sing their respective national anthems – two of the most passionate on the planet. Fans of both nations joined in fervently.

There was a poignant minute’s silence for last week’s London terror attacks and then the contest was underway.

As a spectacle, the game itself didn’t deliver the action-packed blockbuster which some people were perhaps expecting.

There were flashes of immense skill from Messi, Angel Di Maria and Coutinho, however the result was decided by Gabriel Mercado’s goal on the stroke of half-time.

Brazilian fans were poised to celebrate when Gabriel Jesus rounded Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero and looked certain to score. However, the striker scuffed his effort onto the post.

In the end, some of the biggest cheers on the night came when spectators started throwing paper aeroplanes onto the pitch. A couple made it all the way.

That highlighted the nature of the game. This was a friendly after all, with a friendly atmosphere to go with it.

Nevertheless, it was still a night that many will remember and a chance to celebrate the beautiful game.