Following the incidents that occurred before and during the match, CONMEBOL released its first official report justifying the suspension of the second-round Copa Libertadores match between Colo-Colo and Fortaleza due to the “lack of security guarantees” after the death of two young people prior to the game’s kickoff.

CONMEBOL’s Statement on the Suspension of Colo-Colo vs Fortaleza

The death of the two fans occurred during a stampede when several supporters attempted to force their way into the Monumental David Arellano Stadium, home of Colo-Colo, located in the capital city of Santiago (Chile). Due to the severity of the events, the militarized police force, Carabineros de Chile, had to intervene... although their responsibility and response protocol are still under investigation at this time.

This is the statement released by CONMEBOL: “The Competitions and Operations Department of CONMEBOL reported that due to the lack of security guarantees by the home club and the local security authorities ensuring the continuation of the match between Colo-Colo (CHI) and Fortaleza (BRA) for the Group Stage of the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores, the match is officially canceled.”

Brawl Between Police and Fans

Due to the seriousness of the events, the match between Colo-Colo and Fortaleza had to be suspended because of the lack of guarantees… although clashes between fans and police occurred outside the Monumental David Arellano.

The CONMEBOL statement continued: “Considering that all procedures outlined in the Club Manual were followed, the case will be referred to CONMEBOL’s Judicial Bodies for further determinations. All information related to the events inside and outside the stadium will be sent to the Disciplinary Commission of the South American Football Confederation.”