CHAOS AHEAD OF COPA AMERICA FINAL BETWEEN COLOMBIA AND ARGENTINA AS FANS STORM HARD ROCK STADIUM
Lionel Messi and Argentina won the Copa America final on Sunday night, the 16th continental title for the South American nation, as Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in extra time in Miami. The win, however, was tarnished by nightmarish off-field controversy as fans, most of them without tickets, forced entry into Miami’s 75,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium before the game, which led to kickoff being delayed for an hour and 15 minutes.
Fans without tickets climbed walls and barricades, breached the gates and ran past security at roughly 6pm local time, more than an hour before kickoff. A video circulating on social media also revealed a group of fans, mostly dressed in Colombia jerseys, sneaking into the event through the stadium vents.
USA TODAY’s Safid Deen reported that at least seven people were seen receiving treatment from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue near ramps entering the stadium as additional medical emergencies started to emerge from the chaos. Outside the stadium, law enforcement officers were also seen arresting or exiting several people who were caught jumping fences into the stadium.
The game was initially scheduled to start at 8pm EST but had to be postponed until 9:15pm. Kickoff was delayed for an initial 30 minutes before it was postponed to 8:45pm and then again to a quarter past nine.
According to multiple reports, police officers backed up at around 8:11pm, when stadium gates opened, allowing fans – both with and without scanned tickets – to enter the stadium.
A statement released by Hard Rock Stadium prior to kickoff read: “In collaboration with CONMEBOL and law enforcement officers, the decision was made to open the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter. There was serious concern of fans being crushed in an attempt to enter.”
“Law enforcement and security personnel were immediately deployed throughout the stadium and surrounding area to keep fans as safe as possible in light of this unprecedented situation. We urge fans to listen to law enforcement and security personnel throughout the night for the safety of all in attendance.”
Hard Rock Stadium said that they had doubled security personnel during the final compared to their typical at-capacity stadium event and that throughout the afternoon and evening, groups of unruly fans without tickets had attempted to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at multiple entry points to the stadium.
Various stadium gates had been closed and then strategically re-opened to allow ticketed guests to enter the stadium in a safe and controlled manner. The fans, however, continued to engage in illegal conduct – fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades, vandalizing the stadium, and causing significant damage to the property.
Stadium officials, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and law enforcement then made a joint decision to open the stadium gates to all fans for a short period in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter. Once the threat of fans being crushed was alleviated, the gates were then closed and not reopened. At that time, the venue was at full capacity.
“We saw multiple people faint as they got let in,” said The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio. “Some carried over by police over to the medic station, others leaning on each other as they searched for water. Some simply found a spot to sit on the ground and cry or dump water on themselves.”
A few people, including one woman, were reported to have passed out in the searing Miami heat and the crowd tried to make way to let her to the gate while a few other people were seen climbing back out over the railings to get out of the mass crowd of fans.
The stadium says that alcohol sales were stopped shortly after the 9:15pm kickoff as event organizers implemented a detailed plan and increased security presence to allow for a peaceful exit once the match was concluded later that evening.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the stadium was closed,” said Hard Rock Stadium. “And we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns. Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.”
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families and the fans… It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”
Hard Rock Stadium said they intend to work in conjunction with law enforcement to identify and hold accountable the “criminals” who engaged in illegal conduct on Sunday night.
Although unfortunate, the chaotic events of Sunday night have raised questions and resulted in people having doubts about the United States’ and North America’s overall capabilities of hosting a major global sports event such as the FIFA World Cup.
“There was a rushing in of fans when they opened the gate and because of that, they closed all the gates and were not opening them at all,” reported CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Jenny Chiu. “They do not have the infrastructure for this. They don’t have raid gear. They don’t have the security that they need and it’s very evident. This is a huge failure security-wise.”
The United States, along with Canada and Mexico are set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be a step up from the continental affair that was the 2024 Copa America. The United States will also host the 2028 Summer Olympics in sunny Los Angeles as the biggest sports spectacles of the decade heads west.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Elbert Hampton. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.