Darwin Nuñez finished third with Uruguay at the just-concluded 2024 Copa America but the highlight of the player’s tournament is the brawl he was involved in with Colombian fans.
The Liverpool striker’s family came to watch him play against Colombia in the Copa America semis. They sat together with the families of other players and staff of the Uruguay national team but were surrounded by Colombian fans.
Colombia would triumph in a tightly and hotly–contested semifinal to set up a match with Argentina in the final while Uruguay would be made to face Canada in the third-place playoff. The celebrations among Colombian fans took a wild turn in the stands which put the families of the Uruguayan players in harm’s way.
Several players from the Uruguayan team rushed to the defence of their families but the Colombian fans persisted with their harassment, leading to scuffles between players, officials, security and fans. Nuñez in particular was incensed by some of the fans’ behaviour and got into a brawl with them. He was punched but managed to get his family away from harm’s way.
The incident, which has been condemned far and wide and also used to indict the US football governing bodies over their lack of preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, has caused more trouble for the former Benfica man.
An investigation was launched into the brawl which could see Nuñez receive a ban for his actions. However, the striker, who is now holidaying with his family before returning to the Liverpool squad for pre-season, has finally spoken out over the incident.
Nuñez posted on social media: “My first Copa America. Sad for not having made it to the final, happy for what we experienced, what we learned and what we shared. This continues, let’s go Uruguay always!”
The South American football governing body, CONMEBOL, came under fire throughout the tournament for the shoddy preparation. The final involving Argentina and Colombia was also a security and football risk. CONMEBOL has now tried to shift the blame to the US, who hosted the tournament.
Speaking about the issues experienced in the final, they said: “CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, in accordance with the contractual responsibilities established for the security operation.”
They also added that they themselves “recommended to said authorities the procedures tested in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account. We regret that the acts of violence caused by malicious people have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great celebration of sport.”
The Hard Rock Stadium authorities have rejected CONMEBOL’s accusations.
