CONMEBOL Bans Uruguay Stars Darwin Nunez, Ronald Araujo After Copa America Brawl

The South American football governing body, CONMEBOL, has imposed bans on several Uruguayan players following a violent altercation with fans after their semi-final match against Colombia in the 2024 Copa America.

The incident occurred after Uruguay's narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia, which saw Jefferson Lerma score the decisive goal in the first half.

Uruguay's striker Darwin Nunez, who was at the center of the brawl, has been handed a five-match suspension.

Other players facing sanctions include Rodrigo Betancur (four matches), Mathias Olivera (three matches), Ronald Araujo (three matches), and Josema Gimenez (three matches).

These suspensions are limited to national team games. "CONMEBOL on Wednesday sanctioned Uruguay players involved in the fight between fans and players following the semi-final match between Colombia and Uruguay at the 2024 Copa América," reported Daily Post Nigeria.

The altercation shows ongoing concerns about player and fan conduct in high-stakes international tournaments. Despite Colombia's victory over Uruguay, they eventually lost the final to Argentina, who emerged as the champions.