A section of England supporters were frequenting a number of bars close to the FIFA Fan Fest area in Sao Paulo before their Group D fixture with Uruguay when a group made their move with an assortment of weapons.
Firecrackers were reportedly thrown in the direction of the fans, while knuckle dusters and a knife were among the items confiscated by the police.
The authorities were unaware of any injuries, but they are certain the group were looking to cause trouble before attempting to flee the area on public transport.
Alexandre Martins, lieutenant of the Sao Paulo military police told Perform: "We arrested 15 people that fired firecrackers close to a bar where some British fans were gathering.
"There is no official information on victims. Possibly some small damage has happened. Those 15 people tried to escape using public transport but the police got them.
"We found firecrackers, knuckle dusters and a knife with them.
"They (the hooligans) came here with aggressive behaviour. They were looking for trouble.
"I can't confirm they were local hooligans from a specific team because they were not wearing fans shirts. But they were all Brazilians which is very strange since Brazil is not playing against England."
