UGLY SCENE

WATCH: Uruguay Players and Colombian Fans Get Into Wild Brawl After Loss

The players claim they were defending their loved ones in Charlotte after losing in the Copa America semifinal.

A fight broke out between Uruguay players and Colombian fans in the stands after the team was eliminated by Colombia 1-0 in the Copa América semifinal Thursday. A video of the altercation posted by Fox Soccer on X showed Uruguay players, led by Darwin Núñez, charging into the stands and punching fans. In an interview afterward, Núñez accused some Colombian fans of “storming” the section of the stands at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, where soccer players’ families were sitting. “This is a disaster. Our families were in danger. We had to get on top of the stands ASAP to rescue our loved ones with newborn babies. There was not a single policeman. Officers popped in after half an hour. It was a disaster, and we were there, facing the consequences for our people.” After the fight, CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, said in a statement: “CONMEBOL strongly condemns any act of violence that affects football... There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the field.”