Uruguay is on the brink of sealing its place at the 2026 World Cup. La Celeste faces Peru at the legendary Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, knowing that just one point would be enough to confirm their passage to North America. For Peru, meanwhile, it is a last roll of the dice. Sitting in ninth place, their chances of even reaching the inter-confederation playoffs are hanging by a thread. But the headlines ahead of this clash have been dominated by one pressing question: why is Darwin Nunez not playing for Uruguay in such a crucial match?
Under Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay has combined youthful energy with tactical precision, making it one of the most dangerous sides in South America. A win over Peru would all but guarantee their ticket to the World Cup, marking what would be La Celeste’s fifth consecutive appearance at the finals.
Fans are optimistic that even without one of their brightest stars, Uruguay will have enough firepower to overcome a struggling Peru. Yet the absence of Nunez, Al-Hilal’s dynamic striker, has left many supporters puzzled.
Darwin Nunez’s absence explained
The answer lies not in tactics or injuries, but in controversy. Nunez, along with several Uruguay teammates, was handed a suspension by CONMEBOL following an infamous incident at the 2024 Copa America. After a bitter 1-0 semifinal defeat to Colombia in Charlotte, North Carolina, chaos erupted in the stands of Bank of America Stadium.
Nunez, Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Mathias Olivera were all involved in violent clashes with Colombian fans. The players later claimed they were defending their families from aggression in the stands, but South America’s soccer governing body ruled otherwise.
“The panel found that in this case, the principle of self-defence does not apply and that the conduct of the players constituted a voluntary, violent and unjustified action,” the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said in its ruling earlier this year.
Ban upheld by CAS
Despite appeals from both the Uruguayan Football Federation and the players themselves, the suspensions were upheld by CAS in May 2025. This means Nunez must serve a five-match ban, forcing him to sit out the final stretch of World Cup qualifiers.
As a result, the striker missed games against Paraguay and Venezuela in June, and now he will also be absent against Peru. His suspension is expected to end just in time for the final match of the qualifying campaign – an away showdown against Chile on September 13.
