CONMEBOL Probes ‘Unacceptable’ Brawl After Colombia-Uruguay Copa Semifinal

CONMEBOL has launched an investigation into the violent altercation that occurred following the Copa America 2024 semifinal between Colombia and Uruguay on Thursday, July 11, at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina. After the match, Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, along with teammates Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez, was seen engaging in physical confrontations with fans. Colombian supporters were observed throwing caps, cans, and punches at the Uruguayan players as they headed towards the locker room following their disappointing 1-0 defeat.

The situation intensified when Nunez entered the stands and started throwing punches at some fans, with Araujo and Gimenez subsequently joining him. Security officials had to step in to separate the two sides. Reports suggest that some Colombian fans were verbally abusing the players’ families.

In response to the incident, CONMEBOL issued a statement on Thursday: “CONMEBOL has opened an investigation to understand the sequence of events and the responsibilities of those involved in the acts of violence that occurred at the end of the match.”

The statement emphasized that “no action will be tolerated that tarnishes this global football celebration. It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence. Therefore, no behavior that harms the sporting competition will be tolerated.”

In the semifinal, Colombia advanced to the final thanks to a goal by Jefferson Lerma. They will now face defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, in the grand finale on Monday, July 15.