File picture of Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez, who has received a five-match suspension. Uruguay players had climbed into the stands and exchanged blows with opposition fans after losing to Colombia in the Copa America semifinal | Photo Credit: AP

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez gets five-game international ban for brawl with fans after Uruguay’s Copa America exit

Rodrigo Bentancur, Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez and Mathias Olivera are the other Uruguayan players facing suspension

by · The Hindu

Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez has been banned for five international matches while several other players were also suspended for their involvement in clashes with fans following Uruguay's Copa America loss to Colombia in July, South American football's governing body said on Wednesday.

Rodrigo Bentancur was banned for four games, while Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Mathias Olivera each received three-game suspensions.

After Colombia sealed a 1-0 victory in the Copa semi-final, Uruguay players climbed into the stands and exchanged blows with opposition fans.

Uruguay captain Gimenez said the players were trying to defend their families.

The Uruguay FA was also fined $20,000, and 11 players in total were sanctioned for their involvement in the brawl. Nunez was fined $20,000, Bentancur $16,000, and Araujo, Olivera, and Gimenez $12,000 each.

The players will have to serve their suspensions in Uruguay's next official matches in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

They face Paraguay in Montevideo and Venezuela in Maturin in September; Peru (away) and Ecuador (home) in October; Colombia (home) and Brazil (away) in November. (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Fernando Kallas Editing by Toby Davis)