Colombia secured a 1-0 victory over Uruguay to advance to the Copa America final.

Ten-man Colombia defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a heated Copa America semi-final on Wednesday, marking their first appearance in the final in 23 years.

Jefferson Lerma’s header in the 39th minute secured the victory for Colombia, who will now face defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s final in Miami.

The match was marked by a tense atmosphere, with scuffles on the field and fighting in the stands. Despite Daniel Munoz receiving a red card just before halftime and Uruguay applying pressure throughout the match, Colombia managed to hold on for a historic win, much to the delight of their passionate fans.

The streets of the North Carolina city were filled with jubilant Colombia supporters in their trademark yellow jerseys well before kickoff. Inside the Bank of America Stadium, the overwhelming majority of the 74,800 spectators cheered for Colombia, creating a home-like atmosphere.

Colombia started strongly, with Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez creating early chances. Lerma’s decisive goal came from a powerful header off Rodriguez’s corner, his sixth assist of the tournament, breaking the Copa America record set by Lionel Messi in 2021.

Despite Munoz’s dismissal, Colombia continued to threaten with Richard Rios and Mateus Uribe missing opportunities to extend their lead. Uruguay, with numerical superiority in the second half, pressed hard but failed to capitalize on several chances, including a late opportunity for Giorgian de Arrascaeta.

The match ended with Colombia hitting the bar in stoppage time but securing their place in the final amid scenes of jubilation among their supporters, despite concerns over crowd disturbances.