The second Copa America semifinal descended into chaos on Wednesday as Uruguayan players clashed with fans in the stands following their 1-0 elimination by Colombia. The altercation took place at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Footage showed several Uruguayan players, led by Darwin Núñez, entering the stands and exchanging punches with Colombian fans while security personnel struggled to intervene.
In a post-game interview, José Giménez explained that the brawl was triggered by a “certain sector of Colombia fans” who “did an avalanche” on the families of the Uruguayan players. Giménez urged organizers to implement better safety measures, stating, “This is a disaster. Our families were in danger.”
fight between fans and players breaking out at colombia vs uruguay in charlotte!
— jawsh 🍿🇨🇴 (@cactusjoosh) July 11, 2024
vamos colombia 🇨🇴🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/2FaIAOdWDX
Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan Football Association, defended the players’ actions, noting their instinct to protect their families. “Uruguay’s players had an instinctive reaction, which is natural, to defend and protect the children, women, parents, and siblings who were under attack,” Alonso said.
CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, issued a statement condemning the violence, emphasizing that “there is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the field.”
The incident came after a tense match where Colombia’s Jefferson Lerma scored in the 39th minute. The game grew even more intense when Daniel Muñoz of Colombia was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for elbowing Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte. Despite having a numerical advantage for the entire second half, Uruguay failed to equalize, allowing Colombia to secure the victory.
Colombia will now face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the championship match on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. Uruguay is set to compete for third place against Canada on Saturday.