MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia got underway after a delay of more than an hour on Sunday evening because of crowd issues, including fans breaching security gates.
Hours before kickoff, fans got past the gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one of the host sites for the 2026 World Cup.
Video posted on social media showed fans, mostly wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors, jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance of the stadium and running past police officers and stadium attendants. Screams could be heard in the background.
A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind the gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans with tickets had already made it to their seats before then.
One young fan wearing an Argentina jersey was let inside the gate crying hysterically as the man who was with him and a police officer tried to comfort him.
Security initially appeared to open gates slightly to allow only a handful a fans in at a time, while other angry attendees pushed against the railings.
After reclosing the gates, security began letting fans in slowly around 8:10 p.m., with the new kickoff time set for 9:15 p.m., but the commotion did not stop. Fans again broke through the railings, so many filing in that security scanners rocked back and forth from the force.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes released a statement during the game saying the county assigned more than 550 police officers to the stadium detail, plus other personnel from neighboring departments.
“Let’s be clear: This situation should have never taken place and cannot happen again,” read the statement. “We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”
Fans wearing gear from both teams started running in multiple directions, some carrying children on their shoulders. Tickets were not being scanned and few police officers or stadium officials could be seen in the sea of people.
Some fans started climbing over fences to get in. Three police officers were seen placing handcuffs on a fan with a Colombia flag on a ramp that leads to the stadium’s seats.
A fan named Claudio, who traveled to the game from Mendoza in Argentina, spoke of not being able to breathe as police attempted to subdue 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 issued a statement on X following the scene, 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 8:38 p.m. to begin warming up.
Hard Rock Stadium also issued a statement, 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 more than 65,000 was expected for the championship match of the South American tournament. There was a decent split between fans of Argentina and Colombia in the stands, though there appeared to be more yellow Colombia gear.
It isn’t clear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rushes had tickets to the match — CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, posted a statement 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 people Sunday who had parked their cars in the parking lot of the stadium 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 did not purchase tickets.
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t go in, we’ll see it somewhere,” said Cruz, hours before kickoff.
There were people 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.
The commotion ahead of the final was the culmination of a series of issues throughout the 32-match tournament, from complaints about the playing surfaces to criticisms of officials and concerns about player safety.
After Argentina defeated Canada in the June 20 opener at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, both teams criticized the grass field, which replaced the venue’s regular artificial turf. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez called the field a “disaster.” Canada defender Kamal Miller said it seemed hollow.
Those criticisms continued with other teams and coaches early in the tournament.
CONMEBOL officials said those complaints were caused by the grass’ visual appearance, and they said the grass at Hard Rock Stadium would be in “excellent” condition.
In a news conference one day before the final, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stood by complaints he made after the opening match that the surface in Atlanta was “not a good field.”
He added that the team did not continue with the criticisms because “it could be interpreted as an excuse.”
The tournament and its organizers were again heavily criticized after a melee following Colombia’s 1-0 win over Uruguay in their semifinal match.
Just after referee César Ramos blew the final whistle, Darwin Núñez and Uruguay teammates climbed a staircase into a raucous crowd, and video showed Núñez hitting a fan in Colombian team colors.
Uruguay captain José Giménez said players went in the crowd to protect their families, including their wives and children who were seated in the stands behind the Uruguay bench. Coach Marcelo Bielsa later criticized tournament organizers for not doing enough to protect their families, as it took more than 10 minutes for police to arrive and restore order.
CONMEBOL later released a statement condemning the violence but added no further clarification on additional security measures for the final.
Scaloni, Martínez and Colombia midfielder Juan Quintero called for fans to be peaceful at Sunday’s match.
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AP Copa America coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america
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