Copa America chaos ensues as fans sneak in and damage property

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The start time of the Copa America Final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed by more than an hour on Sunday. And despite the match taking place in a tropical storm-prone city like Miami, the weather had nothing to do with the late kickoff.

Social media videos showed fans bypassing security at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens ahead of Copa America’s most important match.

Mainly dressed in Colombia’s yellow and red, plenty of people were seen scaling security railings near the stadium’s southwest entrance and bypassing police and stadium staff, leading to chaotic scenes.

Desperate to get in without paying, others snuck in through alternate entrances such as air vents.

In the midst of it all, Copa America organizers CONMEBOL issued a statement to social media, urging those without tickets to leave in an attempt to mend the madness.

But as those without tickets continued to get through, left stranded outside the gates were individuals who paid for spots, some of whom spent thousands of dollars for their tickets.

The suite level of the Miami stadium, which is set to host World Cup matches in two years, was especially compromised with stampede-like scenes occurring throughout the section.

Unsurprisingly, property within the 65,000-seat arena was damaged.

With the match finally beginning around 9:45 pm ET, the fiasco affected players on both sides.

“It is tough to explain what happened before the game,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said in Spanish during a Sunday press conference. “We had players waiting for their family members to get into the stadium, waiting for an hour. We had to start a match without knowing where our family members were. I think the players for Colombia were going through the same thing. It was very weird.”

Photos from the pitch show a noticeable lack of space as fans without seats occupied stairs and aisles.

The Hard Rock Stadium later confirmed that the decision to open the gates was made to prevent further injuries.

“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns,” the Monday statement said. “Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.”

Amidst plenty of arrests and injuries, Argentina ultimately won the contest by a 1-0 score.

With multiple matches at the 2026 World Cup set to be played in Miami Gardens, many hope that organizers have learned a valuable lesson in crowd control.

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