Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America final on Sunday evening after a match delay of over an hour due to crowd issues. Fans breached security gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a venue slated to host matches for the 2026 World Cup.
Hours before Argentina secured their record 16th Copa America title, videos circulated on social media showing fans, many in Colombia’s yellow and red colors, leaping over security railings near the stadium’s southwest entrance. There were scenes of chaos with screams audible in the background.
Some individuals required medical attention and sought relief from the intense South Florida heat.
Police officers managed to push the crowd back behind the gates and secured the entrance to prevent further access, although many ticketed fans had already entered the stadium.
Initially, security briefly opened gates to allow a small number of fans inside at a time, while others pushed against the barriers in frustration. Despite attempts to restore order and resume the match at 9:15 p.m. following the initial delay, fans again breached the railings, causing security scanners to sway from the influx.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes issued a statement during the game, noting that over 550 police officers were deployed to the stadium, along with personnel from neighboring departments.
“We want to make it clear: This situation should never have occurred and must not happen again,” the statement said.
“We will collaborate with stadium management to conduct a thorough review of tonight’s events immediately to assess the entire chain of incidents, in order to establish necessary protocols and policies for all future games.”
Fans wearing both teams’ gear scattered in various directions, some carrying children on their shoulders. Tickets were not being scanned, and there were few police officers or stadium officials visible in the crowd.
Certain fans began climbing over fences to gain entry. Three police officers were seen handcuffing a fan with a Colombian flag on a ramp leading to the stadium seats.
Claudio, a fan who traveled from Mendoza, Argentina, described feeling unable to breathe as police tried to restore order in the chaos.
“They can’t organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “People were pressed against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was an elderly person, look at him, look at him (gesturing to his young son), left without water. No water, nothing.”
Players took to the field at 8:38 p.m. to begin warming up.
“It’s difficult to explain what happened before the game,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter. “We had players waiting for their family members to enter the stadium, waiting for an hour. We had to start the match not knowing where our family members were. I think the players for Colombia were experiencing the same thing. It was very strange.”
Hard Rock Stadium issued a statement after the game, emphasizing that the stadium “takes pride in hosting world-class events throughout the year in a safe and successful manner.”
The venue mentioned that it collaborated with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, and local law enforcement for the Copa America final.
Security measures included a significant increase in law enforcement officers and security personnel both inside and around the stadium, with more than double the usual staff for such events.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were unable to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed,” the stadium stated. “We will work closely with CONMEBOL to address these individual concerns. The health and safety of all guests and staff are our top priorities.”
“We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement to identify and hold accountable those who engaged in illegal behavior tonight.”
“It is unfortunate that unlawful and unsafe actions impacted what should have been a night of celebration. We will thoroughly review tonight’s procedures and protocols and collaborate with law enforcement to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future.”
The championship match of the South American tournament was expected to draw a sellout crowd of over 65,000. The stands showed a substantial number of fans supporting both Argentina and Colombia, though there seemed to be more yellow Colombian attire.
It remains unclear how many of the fans who entered during the rushes possessed tickets for the match. A statement from CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, issued a day earlier warned that only ticket holders would be allowed into the venue’s parking lot.
The Associated Press spoke with several individuals on Sunday who had parked their vehicles in the stadium’s parking lot without tickets to the match.
Standing near a tent marked “Those without entry” in Spanish was Víctor Cruz, originally from Mendoza, Argentina, who hadn’t bought tickets. “It doesn’t matter if we don’t get in, we’ll watch it somewhere else,” said Cruz, hours before the game began.
The chaos before the final was the culmination of a series of problems during the 32-match tournament, including complaints about the playing surfaces, criticisms of officials, and worries about player safety.
After Argentina beat Canada in the June 20 opener at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, both teams complained about the grass field, which replaced the venue’s regular artificial turf. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez called it a “disaster,” while Canada defender Kamal Miller said it felt hollow.
Other teams and coaches continued to criticize the fields early in the tournament. CONMEBOL officials explained that the complaints were about how the grass looked, and they assured that the grass at Hard Rock Stadium would be “excellent.”
At a press conference the day before the final, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stood by his complaints after the first match that the Atlanta surface was “not good.”
He added that the team didn’t continue with the complaints because “it might seem like an excuse.”
Criticism of the tournament and its organizers intensified after a brawl following Colombia’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay in their semifinal match.
Right after referee César Ramos blew the final whistle, Darwin Núñez and Uruguay teammates went up a staircase into a rowdy crowd, and video showed Núñez hitting a fan in Colombian team colors.
Uruguay captain José Giménez said players went into the crowd to protect their families, including their wives and children sitting 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 over 10 minutes for police to arrive and restore order.
CONMEBOL later issued a statement condemning the violence but didn’t clarify if there would be additional security measures for the final. Scaloni, Martínez, and Colombia midfielder Juan Quintero called for fans to behave peacefully at Sunday’s match.
