August 28, (THEWILL) – Darwin Nunez, Uruguay’s 25-year-old striker, has received a five-match international ban following his involvement in post-match clashes with fans after Uruguay’s Copa America loss to Colombia in July. South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL announced the decision on Wednesday.
Four other players also faced suspensions, with Rodrigo Bentancur banned for four games and Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Mathias Olivera each receiving three-game bans. The incident occurred after Colombia’s 1-0 victory in the Copa America semi-final. Uruguay players entered the stands and engaged in physical altercations with opposition supporters.
Uruguay captain Gimenez claimed the players were acting in defence of their families. However, in addition to the player suspensions, CONMEBOL fined the Uruguay Football Association $20,000. A total of 11 players faced sanctions for their roles in the brawl. Nunez received a $20,000 fine, Bentancur $16,000, and Araujo, Olivera, and Gimenez $12,000 each.
The suspended players will serve their bans during Uruguay’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. These matches include games against Paraguay and Venezuela in September, Peru and Ecuador in October, and Colombia and Brazil in November.
The sanctions come as a blow to Uruguay’s national team, potentially affecting their performance in crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
