Fans started fighting Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez after he entered the stands with his teammates, with the Liverpool star retaliating following ugly Copa America scenes
Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez was involved in a heated brawl as punches were thrown between the Liverpool star and fans after his country were knocked out of Copa America by Colombia.
Tempers flared between the two nations following the final whistle, as Colombia scraped a narrow 1-0 win thanks to Jefferson Lerma’s 39th-minute header. After the on-field scrum relaxed, the Uruguay players made their way over to the stands.
Nunez led a number of Uruguay players into the crowd before Colombia fans started being hostile to the group, and a mass fight erupted between players and supporters. Nunez was punched by a fan and began defending himself as footage showed him swinging at multiple supporters in retaliation.
The Liverpool star was later seen hugging his young son on the field, who may have been caught up in the wild scenes. Barcelona star Ronald Araujo was also involved, as thousands of fans recorded the altercation on their phones in disbelief. Security then stepped in to separate both parties, and attempted to lead the Uruguay players into the locker room as quickly as possible.
According to Uruguayan outlet El Pais, the Uruguay players ventured into the crowd to support family and friends who were sat just behind the team bench. With a heavy Colombia majority inside the stadium, the loved one of Uruguay stars were being abused.
Nunez led the group of players into the stands as their family and friends were led onto the pitch for safety reasons. However, the situation escalated and turned physical. Uruguay national team director Jorge Giordano and press officer Felipe Cotelo were also caught up in the brawl.
The outlet also claimed that Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte attended to his relatives on the field after being injured. Some Uruguayan fans were also severely injured in the brawl, due to being outnumbered by the Colombian supporters.
Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez described the incident as a “disaster” as he slammed the lack of police present on site. “It was a disaster; there was no police and we had to defend our families,” said Gimenez.
“This is because of two or three who have one drink too many. A certain sector of the Colombian fans made an avalanche where our loved ones were,” Gimenez added.
Host organisation CONMEBOL will review the incident ahead of Sunday’s Copa America final, where Colombia will meet Argentina in Miami. Colombia are on a stunning 28-game unbeaten run and haven’t lost for over two years, but will be the underdogs against Argentina.
Argentina are hoping to win a third-straight trophy, after Lionel Messi lifted the Copa America trophy in 2021 before winning the World Cup a year later. Messi had never won an international trophy before 2021, but has the chance to add to his legacy on Sunday in his new home city, after signing for MLS side Inter Miami last year.