Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez and his Uruguayan teammates destroy Bolivia’s defense, making the match seem like a training game.
Núñez continued his outstanding performance by scoring in his seventh straight international match for Uruguay, leading to a 5-0 win on Thursday night. This victory pushed Uruguay to the brink of the Copa America quarterfinals.
Facundo Pellistri scored the first goal for Uruguay in the eighth minute. Núñez made it two in the 21st minute with his 10th goal in his last seven games for Uruguay, bringing his total goals to 13 in 25 matches overall.
Maximiliano Araújo scored his second goal of the tournament in the 77th minute, followed by goals from Federico Valverde in the 81st minute and Rodrigo Bentancur in the 89th minute. This marked Uruguay’s first five-goal game since their 5-0 win against Panama in a June 2022 friendly.
Uruguay, which is currently doing all it can to win its 16th Copa America title, now stands at 2-0 with six points and a plus-seven goal difference. They will move to the quarterfinals with at least a draw against the U.S. on Monday in Kansas City, Missouri. The U.S. has three points with a plus-one goal difference, while Panama also has three points but with a minus-one goal difference.
Bolivia, having lost 14 straight Copa America matches since 2015 and only one victory in their last 32 matches, has no points and a minus-seven goal difference. Their chances of advancing are almost impossible as they prepare to face Panama on Monday in Orlando, Florida. Bolivia is likely to be eliminated in the group stage for the fourth consecutive time.
MetLife Stadium’s upper deck was nearly empty despite being the site of the 2026 World Cup final, with an attendance of 48,033. This was in stark contrast to two days earlier, when Lionel Messi and Argentina drew a sellout crowd of 81,106 for a 1-0 victory against Chile.
Nicolás de la Cruz delivered a long free kick down the flank, and Ronald Araújo outjumped Luis Haquin to center a header. Although Mathías Olivera did not get the ball, it bounced, and Pellistri nodded it in for his second international goal.
Núñez, who took seven shots in the first half, scored off a perfectly weighted pass from Maximiliano Araújo during a quick counterattack.
Maximiliano Araújo made it 3-0 with his third international goal, assisted by de la Cruz, after Bolivia lost possession in midfield. Valverde scored his seventh goal after exchanging passes with Pellistri, and Bentancur headed in Giorgian de Arrascaet’s free kick for his second international goal, three minutes after entering the game.
