A supporter of Argentine club Tigre was shot and wounded in the early hours of Wednesday when a convoy of buses carrying fans came under fire on a motorway in Montevideo, Uruguay, shortly after the team’s 3-0 away victory over Nacional in the Copa Sudamericana. The 57-year-old man, identified by local media as Juan, was struck in the arm and hand by a 9mm round that passed through his limb and fractured a finger. He was treated at the city’s Hospital del Cerro and later discharged, returning to Buenos Aires by ferry. Medical sources described his condition as stable and out of danger.

The attack occurred on Route 1 at the junction with Avenida Cibils, a corridor local authorities describe as a high-crime zone, as a column of some fifteen buses transported an estimated 2,000 Tigre supporters towards the port of Colonia for the journey home. According to police reports, a motorcycle drew alongside one bus and fired at least eight shots, shattering windows and forcing the driver to stop. The wounded fan, who was seated by a window next to his daughter, told Argentine television he saw a flash and threw himself over her before realising he had been hit. He was evacuated in a police patrol car.

Uruguayan authorities have opened an investigation and, according to Montevideo police chief Alfredo Clavijo, have identified the suspects. No arrests have been officially confirmed. Initial reports in the Uruguayan press suggested the ambush was carried out by Nacional supporters, but Tigre president Martín Suárez cautioned against a direct football link. In interviews with Argentine outlets, he noted that the bus driver had reported a similar attack in the same area the previous week and that local officials had warned the delegation about the zone’s insecurity. “We don’t know if this is linked to Nacional fans or not. I understand it’s more a security problem, like those we see in Uruguay, Brazil or Argentina,” Suárez said.

The incident comes amid a suspension of professional football in Uruguay following a separate pitch invasion and assault on a player last weekend. Nacional’s president and vice-president contacted Tigre to offer assistance, and the Argentine club issued a statement repudiating “any manifestation of violence” and confirming that all supporters had safely returned home. The wounded fan, who has followed Tigre since 1983, said he plans to attend the return leg in Victoria, Buenos Aires. The investigation remains active, with police pursuing the identified individuals and no definitive motive established.