Darwin Nunez receives five-game ban for fighting fans during Copa America: Does it impact him at Liverpool?

CONMEBOL handed multi-Game suspensions and fines to several Uruguay players for fighting fans at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium following their Copa America semifinal loss to Colombia in July, handing the harshest punishment to Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez.

Nunez received a five-game suspension and a $20,000 fine, while Rodrigo Bentancur picked up a four-match ban and a $16,000 fine. Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez and Mathias Olivera each received a three-game ban and a $12,000 fine.

The suspension only covers national team Games, so all five players will miss an upcoming friendly against Guatemala as well as World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela in September. Bentancur and Nunez will also sit out a qualifier against Peru in October, while Nunez will finish up his suspension by missing a qualifier against Ecuador that month. It does not impact them at the club level.

Back in July, the players entered the stands shortly after their semifinal defeat to confront Colombia fans, who they believed were creating an unsafe environment for the Uruguay team's loved ones in the same section. The players were spotted throwing punches and objects at those fans, while Gimenez said the Copa America venues lacked enough security detail to protect their families.

The players were all eligible to play for Uruguay in their third-place match a few days later, in which they beat Canada on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Nunez, Bentancur and Gimenez all started that game, with Bentancur scoring in regular time and converting a penalty in the shootout.

CONMEBOL's suspensions could put a dent in Uruguay's World Cup qualifying campaign, which got off to a strong start last year. They currently sit second in South America's 10-team table with four wins and are just two points behind Argentina. Uruguay's World Cup qualifying record includes impressive wins over Brazil and Argentina last fall, games in which Nunez and Araujo were on the scoresheet.

Uruguay may have enough of a cushion, considering up to seven teams from South America could qualify for the 2026 World Cup. They would normally be the favorites in their upcoming Games but it is unclear if the depleted squad will struggle without a large chunk of their team.