What should have been a night of Copa Sudamericana football ended in chaos. The match between Independiente and Universidad de Chile at the Libertadores de América Stadium turned into a violent spectacle, with clashes between fans leaving more than 200 injured and over 100 detained, according to reports. These shocking images reveal the intensity of the confrontation, the fear in the stands, and the scale of the security failure that marked one of the darkest nights in recent South American football.

Gianni Infantino condemns violence in Independiente vs Universidad de Chile that forced the suspension of the Copa Sudamericana

FIFA President Gianni Infantino published a message on his social media this Thursday, strongly condemning the violence during the match between Independiente and Universidad de Chile, which led to the suspension of the Copa Sudamericana 2025 second-leg round of 16 match held in Buenos Aires.

“I strongly condemn the shocking violence that led to the cancellation of the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 match. Violence has no place in football,” Infantino wrote.

The match was halted by Uruguayan referee Gustavo Tejera in the 48th minute, with the score at 1-1, due to serious incidents in the stands at the Estadio Libertadores de América in Avellaneda.

According to the official report, clashes between Universidad de Chile and Independiente fans resulted in 19 injuries—one of them critical—and 97 Chilean fans arrested in Buenos Aires.

Infantino emphasized that players, referees, fans, and everyone involved in football should be able to enjoy it “without fear.”

Finally, the FIFA president stated that he expects exemplary sanctions against those responsible:

“From FIFA, our thoughts are with all the innocent victims, and we hope that the competent authorities impose exemplary sanctions on the perpetrators of these terrible acts.”