Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez will have to serve a five-match suspension with the Uruguayan national team. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the appeal by the Uruguayan federation following the incidents that occurred in the 2024 Copa América semi-final against Colombia.
The decision implies that Núñez and four other teammates will miss the next three CONMEBOL qualifying matches. These matches will be against Paraguay and Venezuela in June, and the following one against Peru in September.
The forward could rejoin the Uruguayan team on September 13, in the match against Chile in Santiago, corresponding to the last day of the qualifiers.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will also have to serve a four-match suspension. José María Giménez, Mathías Olivera and Ronald Araújo, for their part, will have to serve a three-match suspension each.
The CAS dismissed the appeals filed by the players and the federation, which questioned CONMEBOL’s decision to sanction the players for acts of violence against fans during the semi-final of the 2024 Copa América.
The players and the federation tried to annul all fines and suspensions related to the incident, alleging “the principle of legitimate defense”, but the CAS ruled in favor of CONMEBOL.
Following Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Charlotte, North Carolina, last summer, the players involved in the appeal process entered the stands and participated in violent acts against the opposing team’s supporters. Although Giménez stated that the players intervened to defend their families, CONMEBOL initiated an independent investigation and found the participants guilty.
The resource presented by the players and the AUF was heard remotely on March 28, 2025. After hearing the presentations of all parties, the CAS Panel considered the players’ argument that they acted under the principle of self-defense, as relatives of the Uruguayan soccer team were located in the same sector where the altercation with Colombian fans occurred.
CAS
The CAS ruled that the principle of legitimate defense was not applicable in this case and that the players’ conduct constituted a voluntary, violent and unjustified action, in violation of the CONMEBOL Disciplinary Code. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed and the challenged decision, including the sanctions against the players and the AUF, was upheld in its entirety.
Bentancur was also fined $16,000, while the Uruguayan federation received a fine of $20,000.
