Copa América Final Between Argentina and Colombia Postponed
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed by more than an hour on Sunday evening due to crowd-related issues.
Hours before the scheduled kickoff, fans breached security gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a designated host site for the 2026 World Cup.
Videos shared on social media captured scenes of fans, mostly clad in Colombia’s yellow and red colors, jumping over security railings near the Southwest entrance of the stadium and rushing past police officers and stadium staff. The background was filled with chaotic screams.
Several individuals required medical attention and asked for water in the oppressive South Florida heat. Officers managed to push the crowd back behind black gates and secured the entrance, although many ticketed fans had already taken their seats. A young fan in an Argentina jersey was seen entering the gate while crying hysterically, comforted by his companion and a police officer.
Officials partially reopened gates to let a few fans in at a time, while other frustrated attendees pushed against the railings.
Around 8:10 p.m., security started allowing fans to reenter slowly, with the new kickoff time set for 9:15 p.m. Despite this, the disorder continued as fans broke through the railings, rushed inside, and dispersed in multiple directions. Ticket scanning appeared inconsistent, with some fans climbing over fences to gain entry. A fan named Claudio, who had traveled from Mendoza, Argentina, described the difficulty of breathing as police tried to control the situation.
“They can't organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. "People unable to breathe for hours were wedged up against the fence. "Look at him, look at him, a senior citizen who was left without water," he continued, making a gesture toward his small kid. “No water, nothing.”
The Miami-Dade County police department released a statement on X, detailing “several incidents” that occurred before the stadium gates opened. The statement said, "The unruly behavior of fans attempting to enter the stadium has caused these incidents." "We ask everyone to exercise patience and follow the guidelines set forth by our cops and the staff of Hard Rock Stadium. We are collaborating with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all attendees. Unruly behavior will lead to ejection and/or arrest.”
Players began warming up on the pitch at about 8:38 p.m.
Additionally, a statement from Hard Rock Stadium said that “thousands of fans without tickets tried to forcibly enter the stadium."
“All fans without tickets MUST leave Hard Rock Stadium premises,” the statement read. "It is essential for a successful and, most importantly, a safe match." It remains unclear which fans who rushed in had tickets. The day before the event, CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, posted a statement on X, warning that fans needed tickets to even enter the parking lot of the venue.
The Associated Press spoke with several people on Sunday who had parked their cars in the stadium’s parking lot without tickets to the match.
Standing near a tent labeled “Those without entry” in Spanish was Víctor Cruz, an Argentina native from Mendoza who had not purchased tickets.
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t go in, we’ll see it somewhere,” said Cruz, hours before kickoff.
As the original 8 p.m. ET start time approached, both ticket holders and those without tickets were held behind security gates, all waiting to enter the game. Copa America 2024 Final Details
