The final match of the Copa América football tournament between Argentina and Colombia was delayed for more than an hour as officials in Miami struggled to control crowds attempting to enter the stadium without tickets.
Images and videos on social media on Sunday night showed people clad in football shirts climbing through air vents into the stadium, as well as heaving crowds pressing up against the entrance gates, which burst open, leading to distress and confusion.
“Thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter,” Hard Rock Stadium said in a post on X.
The players took the field after a delay of about an hour and 20 minutes. Argentina won the match 1-0 to claim its second straight Copa América trophy, despite star Lionel Messi suffering an injury in the second half that forced him to the sidelines.
The debacle at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night is likely to raise questions about the city’s preparedness to host World Cup matches in two years. Miami is set to be one of 16 host cities across North America for the 2026 tournament.
The Miami-Dade Police Department said there were “several incidents” prior to the stadium gates opening, which it attributed to fans’ “unruly behaviour”.
“We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all those attending,” the department wrote on X.
The 65,000-seat capacity arena is home to the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins and regularly hosts high-profile events including Formula One racing and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
The city of Miami has become a prestige destination for global sports, especially football, capped by Messi’s arrival to play for the region’s Major League Soccer franchise.
“Final week of Copa América marred by truly disturbing images that speak to deep, underlying problems with the tournament’s organisation,” wrote Men in Blazers, a US-based media company devoted to the promotion of football, in a post on X.
The turmoil on Sunday followed calamitous scenes at the conclusion of last week’s semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia in Charlotte, North Carolina, in which players from the Uruguayan side breached the stands and began fighting against Colombia supporters.
Conmebol, the tournament’s organiser, said in a statement that it was investigating the incident.
The Charlotte Observer wrote in an editorial: “No matter what the results of the brawl are — suspensions, arrests, lawsuits, whatever — it’s clear that this postgame altercation gave Charlotte a black eye.”
