Kick-off for the Copa America final was postponed after chaos and danger saw thousands of supporters blocked from entering Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
During the tournament's highlight match, between Argentina and Colombia, several fans were detained without tickets after trying to enter the venue before security gates were closed at around 6pm local time, about two hours before the originally scheduled kick-off.
Kickoff was then postponed to 8:30 PM ET, then again until 9:15 PM ET to allow players to warm up on the field before returning to the locker rooms.
The game ended up starting at 9:22 pm ET, about 82 minutes later than scheduled.
A statement from Copa America said: “We regret to inform you that those without tickets will not be able to enter the stadium. As soon as the gates reopen, only those who have purchased a ticket will be allowed into the stadium.”
Security at the Copa America. One gate opens in the southwest corner 90 minutes before kickoff. Thousands of very enthusiastic fans are there. It's a problem waiting to happen. Not good. pic.twitter.com/glEgYV2VAG
— Jack Lang (@jacklang) July 14, 2024
Large numbers of supporters, including young children, were left stranded outside the stadium, with the scorching heat in the area making the problem even worse.
Temperatures in the Miami area, where the stadium is located, rose to 88 degrees, and Miami-Dade Fire Department officials set up a station inside the gates afterward to help people showing signs of heatstroke.
Talk to your fans Athletic They blamed organizers from CONMEBOL, South American soccer's governing body. “This is awful,” one person said. “They don't even give us water. Not even water!”
A Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) spokesperson said: Athletic Several people were arrested for assaulting police officers, and several others were arrested for trespassing.
Police later issued a statement noting “disorderly behaviour” by some supporters as they tried to enter the arena.
“Several incidents occurred prior to the opening of the gates at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final,” it read. “These incidents are the result of disorderly behavior by fans attempting to enter the stadium.
“We ask that everyone remain patient and adhere to the rules set forth by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium staff. We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all attendees. Any irregular behavior will be subject to ejection and/or arrest.”
“We have zero tolerance for rowdy behavior from all participants.”
Fans outside Miami's Hard Rock Stadium (Photo: The Athletic)
Pictures taken outside the stadium showed several people wearing Colombia shirts being detained by police and security personnel.
Athletic I saw people being pushed out of the queue to get into the stadium, including a man with a cut on his head.
Police at the stadium previously Athletic The southwest entrance gate for VIPs and players' families was closed due to people trying to enter the stadium without tickets.
Hard Rock Stadium is scheduled to host seven matches at the 2026 World Cup, including the quarterfinals and third-place playoff.
Stadium organisers blamed the incident on “noisy fans” and said the decision to close security gates was to “ensure safe and controlled entry for ticketed spectators”.
The statement read: “Hard Rock Stadium prides itself on safely and successfully hosting world-class events throughout the year. For the Copa America Final, the venue worked in partnership with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement. Preparations included more than double the staffing compared to a typical stadium-full event and increased numbers of law enforcement officers and security.”
“Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were multiple attempts by rowdy, ticketless fans to overpower security and police officers at the stadium entrances, putting themselves, other fans, security and stadium staff at extreme risk.
“Various gates to the stadium were strategically closed and reopened to allow safe and controlled entry for ticketed spectators. Fans continued to engage in unlawful behaviour, fighting with officers, destroying walls and barricades, vandalising the stadium and causing significant damage to the facilities.”
“It became clear that it would not be safe to kick off the match at 8pm so a joint decision was taken to postpone it.”
They also pledged to work with CONMEBOL to address the “personal concerns” of people who were unable to enter stadiums after borders were closed.
(Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levin Cava and Public Safety Director James Reyes later condemned the incident in a joint statement and promised a thorough investigation into its cause.
“We are outraged by the unprecedented events that took place at tonight's Copa America Final,” the statement read. “The Copa America Final is hosted by CONMEBOL and the Miami-Dade Police Department is providing security support along with other law enforcement agencies.”
“Tonight, MDPD has more than 550 officers, including priority response teams, at the stadium and is utilizing every possible resource to continue to ensure a safe experience for all attendees.
“In addition, MDPD has deployed additional personnel from other jurisdictions to support the safety and wellbeing of those in attendance.
“Our number one priority must be the safety and security of all our residents and visitors. We ask everyone attending tonight's game to comply with all instructions from law enforcement and security for the safety of all attendees.”
“We have also received a security briefing from stadium management regarding their plans to assist fans in the safe exit following tonight's game, and again we urge all attendees to continue to pay close attention to all information and updates from law enforcement and stadium staff.”
“Let me be clear: this situation should never have happened and will never happen again.
“We are working with stadium leadership to immediately conduct a full review of tonight's events to evaluate the entire sequence of events and ensure the necessary protocols and policies are in place for all future matches.”
The incident in Miami came just days after several players and supporters clashed after Wednesday's semi-final match between Uruguay and Colombia.
Uruguay's players, including Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez, later got into an altercation with manager Marcelo Bielsa, who strongly criticised the tournament organisers.
Three years ago at the Euro 2020 final, ticket-less fans watched England v Italy at Wembley Stadium, but the 2022 UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris saw chaos outside the stadium.
Liverpool fans were stuck in traffic trying to get into the stadium and were tear-gassed by police, but UEFA later reached a settlement with those injured.
Additional reporting by Paul Tenorio and Felipe Cardenas
(Top photo: The Athletic)
