MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America final Sunday evening in a match that was delayed more than an hour because of crowd issues, including fans breaching security gates.
Hours before Argentina won its record 16th Copa America title, fans got past the gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one of the host sites for the 2026 World Cup.
Video posted on social media showed fans, mostly wearing Colombia's yellow and red colors, jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance of the stadium and running past police officers and stadium attendants. Screams could be heard in the background.
A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind the gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans with tickets had already made it to their seats before then.
Security initially appeared to open gates slightly to allow only a handful a fans in at a time, while other angry attendees pushed against the railings.
After reclosing the gates, security began letting fans in slowly around 8:10 p.m., with the new kickoff time set for 9:15 p.m., but the commotion did not stop. Fans again broke through the railings, so many filing in that security scanners rocked back and forth from the force.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes released a statement during the game saying the county assigned more than 550 police officers to the stadium detail, plus other personnel from neighboring departments.
“Let’s be clear: This situation should have never taken place and cannot happen again,” read the statement. “We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”
Fans wearing gear from both teams started running in multiple directions, some carrying children on their shoulders. Tickets were not being scanned and few police officers or stadium officials could be seen in the sea of people.
Some fans started climbing over fences to get in. Three police officers were seen placing handcuffs on a fan with a Colombia flag on a ramp that leads to the stadium's seats.
A fan named Claudio, who traveled to the game from Mendoza in Argentina, spoke of not being able to breathe as police attempted to subdue the chaos.
“They can’t organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, look at him, look at him (motioning at his young son), left without water. No water, nothing.”
Players took the pitch at 8:38 p.m. to begin warming up.
“It is tough to explain what happened before the game,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter. “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.”
Hard Rock Stadium issued a statement after the game, saying that the stadium “takes pride in hosting world-class events year-round in a safe and successful manner.”
The venue noted that it worked in collaboration with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement agencies for the Copa America final. Security measures included an increase in the number of law enforcement officers and security at and around the stadium, with “more than double the personnel” than the stadium has for a regular event.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed," the stadium said, "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 will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight. 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.”
A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 was expected for the championship match of the South American tournament. There was a decent split between fans of Argentina and Colombia in the stands, though there appeared to be more yellow Colombia gear.
It isn't clear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rushes had tickets to the match — CONMEBOL, South America's governing body, posted a statement on X a day before warning that fans must have tickets to even enter the parking lot of the venue.
The Associated Press spoke with several people Sunday who had parked their cars in the parking lot of the stadium without tickets to the match.
Standing near a tent that said “Those without entry” in Spanish was Víctor Cruz, an Argentina native of Mendoza who did not purchase tickets.
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t go in, we’ll see it somewhere,” said Cruz, hours before kickoff.
The commotion ahead of the final was the culmination of a series of issues throughout the 32-match tournament, from complaints about the playing surfaces to criticisms of officials and concerns about player safety.
After Argentina defeated Canada in the June 20 opener at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, both teams criticized the grass field, which replaced the venue's regular artificial turf. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez called the field a “disaster.” Canada defender Kamal Miller said it seemed hollow.
Those criticisms continued with other teams and coaches early in the tournament.
CONMEBOL officials said those complaints were caused by the grass’ visual appearance, and they said the grass at Hard Rock Stadium would be in “excellent” condition.
In a news conference one day before the final, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stood by complaints he made after the opening match that the surface in Atlanta was “not a good field.”
He added that the team did not continue with the criticisms because “it could be interpreted as an excuse.”
The tournament and its organizers were again heavily criticized after a melee following Colombia's 1-0 win over Uruguay in their semifinal match.
Just after referee César Ramos blew the final whistle, Darwin Núñez and Uruguay teammates climbed a staircase into a raucous crowd, and video showed Núñez hitting a fan in Colombian team colors.
Uruguay captain José Giménez said players went in the crowd to protect their families, including their wives and children who were seated in the stands behind the Uruguay bench. Coach Marcelo Bielsa later criticized tournament organizers for not doing enough to protect their families, as it took more than 10 minutes for police to arrive and restore order.
CONMEBOL later released a statement condemning the violence but added no further clarification on additional security measures for the final.
Scaloni, Martínez and Colombia midfielder Juan Quintero called for fans to be peaceful at Sunday's match.
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AP Copa America coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america
Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
