During the semi-finals of the 2024 Copa America, in the match between Uruguay and Colombia, a pitched battle broke out involving Uruguayan players and Colombian fans.
The teams faced off in a stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The incident erupted at the end of the match when Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araujo, along with other Uruguayan players, jumped into the stands to fight with Colombian fans.
The situation quickly got out of control. Players and fans were involved in a brawl that lasted several minutes and had to be broken up by the local police.
Uruguayan footballer José María Giménez stated that the players of his team intervened during a crowd surge in the stands to protect their relatives who were in danger.
"It's a shame. The fans caused a stampede in the area where our family was. (...) This is a disaster, our family was in danger. We had to enter the stands to get our family out, with very young babies. There wasn't a single police officer, they arrived several minutes after the fight," declared outraged.
The brand quoted statements from Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), who defended the players, arguing that their reaction was instinctive upon seeing their loved ones in danger.
The police had difficulties controlling the situation, and Conmebol strongly condemned the acts of violence.
The Uruguayan coach, Marcelo Bielsa, described the incidents as "truly regrettable." This episode has generated strong rejection and has highlighted the need to improve security in stadiums to prevent future incidents of violence.
The winner of this Wednesday's game was the Colombia team. The score was 1-0.
The Colombians will face Argentina in the final this Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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