Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
37 minutes ago
A police officer talks with fans outside the stadium before the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynn Sladky)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia was postponed for more than an hour Sunday night because of crowd issues.
Fans appeared to have breached security gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one of the sites that will host the 2026 World Cup, hours before kick-off.
Videos posted on social media showed fans, mostly wearing the yellow and red of Colombia's national flag, jumping over a security barrier near the southwest entrance to the stadium and running past police officers and stadium staff, with screams heard in the background.
Several people were seen receiving medical treatment and requesting water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Police pushed the crowd behind black gates and blocked the entrance to stop anyone getting in, but many fans with tickets had already taken their seats.
One young fan, wearing an Argentina jersey, was let inside the gates and was crying hysterically as the man he was with and a police officer tried to comfort him.
Officials appeared to open the gates slightly to allow only a few fans in at a time, but other angry spectators continued to push against the barriers.
At approximately 8:10 PM, security began gradually letting fans in, and the new kickoff time was set for 9:15 PM, but the disturbances did not stop. Fans continued to breach the barriers. They filed in and began running in different directions. Tickets did not appear to be scanned. Some fans even tried to scale the barrier to get inside.
One fan, who travelled from Mendoza, Argentina, to watch the game, called only Claudio, said he couldn't breathe as police tried to quell the unrest.
“It's impossible to host the World Cup! It's impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “They were locked at the gates for hours, they couldn't breathe. There were elderly people. Look at him, look at him (pointing to his young son). There was no water, nothing.”
Miami-Dade County Police released a statement about X after the scene, saying there had been “several incidents” before the stadium gates opened.
“These incidents are the result of disorderly behavior by fans attempting to enter the stadium,” the statement said. “We ask that everyone remain patient and abide by the rules set forth by police officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel. We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all attendees. Anyone engaging in disorderly behavior will be subject to removal and/or arrest.”
The players took to the pitch at approximately 8:38 p.m. and began warming up.
Hard Rock Stadium also released a statement, saying “thousands of fans without tickets attempted to force entry into the stadium.”
“All fans without tickets must leave the Hard Rock Stadium grounds,” the statement said. “This is paramount to the success and, most importantly, safety of the game.”
More than 65,000 spectators were expected to attend the South American final.
It is unclear which of the fans who were allowed in during the rush had tickets to the match. The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) posted a statement on Twitter the previous day warning fans that they must have tickets to even enter the venue's car park.
The Associated Press spoke to several people Sunday who were parked in the stadium's parking lot without tickets to the game.
Standing near a tent with a sign in Spanish reading “People Not Allowed” was Victor Cruz from Mendoza, Argentina, who had not purchased a ticket.
“If it doesn't go in, that's OK. We'll see it somewhere,” Cruz said just hours before kickoff.
Those who had received tickets and those without tickets were still waiting to enter the game, and all were kept behind security gates near the original 8 p.m. EDT kickoff time.
Copa America said in a post on X on Sunday night that only fans who have purchased tickets will be allowed in “once access resumes.”
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AP Copa America coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america
