MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed for over 80 minutes on Sunday evening due to crowd control issues, including fans breaching security gates.
Several hours before the game began, fans bypassed security at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one of the .
Video footage shared on social media showed fans, mostly wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors, leaping over security railings of the stadium and running past police officers and stadium attendants. Screams could be heard in the background.
Several people were observed receiving medical attention and requesting water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers managed to push the crowd back behind the gates and secure the entrance to prevent further entry. However, a significant number of fans with tickets had already reached their seats.
One young fan wearing an Argentina jersey was allowed inside the gate, sobbing uncontrollably, as the man accompanying him and a police officer attempted to comfort him.
Security initially attempted to partially open the gates to allow only a few fans in at a time, but other angry attendees pressed against the railings.
After closing the gates again, security personnel began allowing fans to re-enter slowly around 8:10 p.m., with the new kickoff time set for 9:15 p.m. However, the commotion continued. Fans once again broke through the railings, resulting in a surge of people entering that caused security scanners to sway back and forth due to the force.
Fans wearing gear from both teams began running in multiple directions, some carrying children on their shoulders. Tickets were not being scanned, and few police officers or stadium officials were visible in the throng of people.
Some fans started climbing over fences to gain entry. Three police officers were seen placing handcuffs on a fan with a Colombia flag on a ramp leading to the stadium’s seats.
A fan named Claudio, who had traveled to the game from Mendoza in Argentina, mentioned being unable to breathe as police tried to quell the chaos.
“They can’t organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, look at him, look at him (motioning at his young son), left without water. No water, nothing.”
Miami-Dade County’s police department , mentioning there were “several incidents” before the gates opened at the stadium.
“These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium,” the statement said. “We are asking everyone to be patient, and abide by the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel. We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all those attending. Unruly behavior will get you ejected and/or arrested.”
Players took the pitch at about 8:38 p.m. to begin warming up.
Hard Rock Stadium , saying that “thousands of fans without tickets tried to forcibly enter the stadium.”
“All fans without tickets MUST leave Hard Rock Stadium premises,” the statement said. “It is paramount to a successful and most importantly a safe match.”
A sellout crowd of over 65,000 was anticipated for the championship match of the South American tournament. There was a fairly even split between fans of Argentina and Colombia in the stands, although there appeared to be more yellow Colombia gear.
It remains unclear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rush had tickets to the match—CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, on X a day before warning that fans must have tickets to even enter the parking lot of the venue.
The Associated Press spoke with several individuals on Sunday who had parked their cars in the stadium’s parking lot without tickets to the match.
Standing near a tent that said “Those without entry” in Spanish was Víctor Cruz, an Argentina native of Mendoza who had not purchased tickets.
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t go in, we’ll see it somewhere,” said Cruz, hours before kickoff.
There were individuals still waiting to enter the game who had received tickets, along with those who did not have tickets, all of whom were held behind security gates close to the original 8 p.m. EDT start time.
Copa América, in , said that only fans who have purchased tickets would be able to enter “once access is reopened.”
