Following Uruguay’s contentious 1-0 loss to Colombia in the Copa America semifinals at Bank of America Stadium, Darwin Nunez and several teammates entered the stands, sparking a brawl with Colombia fans. Nunez was visibly agitated, reportedly throwing punches amid a flurry of beverages and debris aimed at Uruguayan players.
Defender Jose Gimenez explained that the players intervened to protect their families, who were outnumbered and felt threatened in the crowd. “Our families are in the stands, there are little newborn babies,” Gimenez stated during the broadcast. “There was no police, and we had to defend our families.”
Prior to the players’ involvement, skirmishes had already erupted between opposing fans. Most of the 70,000 attendees supported Colombia, with scattered Uruguayan fans present throughout the stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan Football Association, described the players’ actions as a response to protect their loved ones. “It was an instinctive, natural reaction to defend their kids, their partners, parents, and siblings,” he remarked.
After security personnel restored order and Colombian fans exited, around 100 Uruguayan fans and federation staff remained on the field. CONMEBOL is investigating the incident and may impose sanctions.
Liverpool FC, Nunez’s club, is reportedly gathering information to understand the situation better. Uruguay is set to face Canada in the tournament’s third-place match on Saturday.
