Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez was involved in an altercation with Colombian fans to protect his family shortly after Colombia’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay, where Jefferson Lerma netted the winning goal despite Colombia being down to 10 men.
The match was held at the Bank America Stadium in North Carolina and was fiercely contested between the two South American giants.
Lerma’s decisive goal came in the 39th minute, securing a crucial win for Colombia and sending their supporters into a frenzy.
However, the celebrations quickly turned dark when Nunez noticed his family being harassed by a group of drunk Colombian fans in the stands.
The Liverpool forward visibly distressed, rushed into the stands to defend his family from the aggressive fans. The situation escalated rapidly, with security personnel and other Uruguayan players including Ronald Araujo and Jose Giminez intervening to separate the parties involved.
Following the incident, both national teams and FIFA officials expressed concern over the safety of players and their families during matches in the North Carolina Stadium.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the altercation, promising to identify and address the behavior of the fans involved.
Colombia qualified for the Copa America final for the third time in history and for the first time since 2001 when they won the tournament for the first time.