Organizers of the Copa America soccer final in Miami, Florida, are facing questions Monday over how it dissolved into chaos before the match with fans fighting police and storming the gates.
Argentina won a record 16th Copa America 1-0 over Colombia in the Sunday evening match, but the event was overshadowed by a 75-minute pre-kickoff delay as fans rushed the gates and clashed with police at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins.
The 65,000-capacity stadium is scheduled to host seven World Cup games including a quarter-final and third place playoff.
When fans breached security, Miami-Dade police locked down entrances and delayed the kickoff from 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Thousands were stranded in 88-degree heat outside, and authorities eventually let everyone in without checking tickets to avoid a potential stampedem witnesses said.
“There was serious concern of fans being crushed in order to enter,” a Hard Rock spokesperson told the Miami Herald. “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.”
With tickets selling for $1,500 to $8,000, the Copa final was supposed to be a memorable night featuring superstar Lionel Messi playing for Argentina.
But the situation quickly got out of hand. When Argentinian player Alexis Mac Allister’s family couldn’t enter the stadium, the player left the locker room to help them.
Social media captured mayhem at the stadium, with fans screaming, children crying, and damage to the facilities.
Hours after the chaos, a Hard Rock stadium spokesperson told the Herald, “Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium, putting themselves, other fans and security and stadium staff at extreme risk.” The spokesperson said fans fought police, broke down walls and barricades and damaged the stadium.
“We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
The chaos in Miami follows a semi-final match that descended into a post-game brawl between Uruguayan players including star Darwin Nunez who entered the stands to fight Colombian fans on Wednesday in Charlotte.
The mayhem in Miami was similar to the UEFA Champions League final in Paris in May 2020 when security breaches almost became a “mass casualty catastrophe,” according to a UEFA investigation of the event. “It’s remarkable that no one lost their life,” the report said.
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