Chaos consumed the final hours of the Copa América before kick-off in Miami, where thousands of fans were trapped outside the Hard Rock Stadium past the gates as security tried, and apparently failed, to manage the flow of spectators to Sunday’s game between Argentina and Colombia.
From 7:30 pm, 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of 8 pm, all stadium gates were closed. Organizers announced that kickoff has been postponed until at least 8:30 am.
Fans, however, were suffering. The children would be crying. Many people supposedly passed out. Several men were bloodied by the police.
Chaos apparently began when some supposedly fans without tickets — it’s unclear how many — breached at least one main entrance gate. They ran towards the stadium lobby, with police and security chasing them.
BREAKING: The Hard Rock Stadium gates were broken down and many fans began to enter for 2024 #CopaAmérica Final. The police are trying hard to contain the flow of people. pic.twitter.com/fkoMMYGk8K
-Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) July 14, 2024
The breach provoked a forceful police response, which appeared to exacerbate the chaos.
Authorities responded by closing the breached gate and eventually all stadium gates with less than an hour until kickoff.
This left many fans with tickets – including, supposedlyfamily members of players – unable to enter and trapped in a mass of peoplesweating in the sweltering heat and humidity of South Florida.
A better view from the top of the Southwest Gate at Hard Rock Stadium. Very worrying to have so many people in such a small space. A Miami-Dade police officer told me that all stadium gates are closed for now. #CopaAmérica2024 pic.twitter.com/HkWNFgcmwn
-Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) July 14, 2024
Before the total closure, for a brief period, they let fans in one by one, with a dozen police officers lined up at the entrance.
Security was letting fans in one by one before closing the southwest gate again and imposing some sort of lockdown due to the security breach.
Once again, please everyone be careful. pic.twitter.com/dm7IsWP0NF
-Lizzy Becherano (@lizzy_becherano) July 14, 2024
Multiple journalists at the scene said they and others had been instructed by police to stop filming the chaos, which will raise all sorts of critical questions about the preparation of CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation responsible for the Copa América, and local organizers in Miami .
The videos began to spread shortly after the gates opened at 5pm local time.
ATTENTION
Dismantled at the entrance to the stadium, MANY people try to join the party, some achieve success. The police intervene in the use of force.
¡ASÍ NO ES! pic.twitter.com/21TBplo2cr
— Colombian Football (@Futbolfpc) July 14, 2024
More scenes of how dozens of Colombians managed to get necklaces without a bill in the Copa América final.
If security was chaotic in Charlotte ( vs ), in Miami it wasn’t any better. pic.twitter.com/BZ9jWKrc0y
— Rafael Ramos (@RafaeIRamosV) July 14, 2024
The Miami-Dade Police Department later said in a statement that there were “several incidents prior to gates opening” that “were the result of unruly behavior by fans attempting to access the stadium.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.