Violence at South American match left 10 seriously injured, says Argentine newspaper

The violent incident in Avellaneda during the Copa Sudamericana match between Independiente and Universidad de Chile left at least 10 people seriously injured, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported Thursday. In total, the newspaper reported 185 fans injured.

According to the local outlet, reports on the number of injuries and fans detained by police vary. One report indicates that 185 were injured, including 177 men, three women, and five minors. In total, 125 people were arrested. However, the newspaper notes that there are reports of up to 300 detainees, all from the visiting fans.

La Nación does not provide details on the number of serious injuries. Local authorities have not yet released a statement on the number of injured or detained.

The chaotic scenes in Avellaneda during the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16, held in the Argentine city, began after halftime. The result gave Chile qualification, having already led 1-0 in the first leg.

Universidad de Chile fans began throwing rocks at the home fans. The visitors broke into a cleaning supplies warehouse and even threw broomsticks at the opposing fans.

Some of the local fans managed to gain access to the visitors' area and trapped dozens of Chileans. One of them even fell from the highest point in the stadium. Photos and videos of extreme violence have taken over social media in recent hours, with scenes of aggression, bloodshed, and humiliation.

Before the most serious moments of violence, players attempted to calm the situation, but were unsuccessful. After the stoppage, the players retreated to the locker rooms. According to the Argentine press, the police did not intervene.

Initially, the referee stopped the game. Shortly after, CONMEBOL ordered the match canceled, meaning the match will not resume. The decision on the outcome will be made by the confederation's disciplinary authorities.

“CONMEBOL's Competitions and Operations Directorate announced that, due to the lack of security guarantees from the local club and local security authorities to ensure the continuity of the match between Independiente (ARG) and Universidad de Chile (CHI) for the round of 16 of the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, the match has been canceled,” Conmebol reported.