Copa America final kick-off delayed after fans struggle to enter stadium in Miami

The kick-off for the Copa America final was delayed after chaotic and dangerous scenes saw thousands of supporters prevented from entering Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the game.

The showpiece match of the tournament between Argentina and Colombia saw a number of fans detained after authorities said they had attempted to gain entry without tickets before security gates across the venue were closed at around 6pm local time, approximately two hours before the originally scheduled kick-off time.

Kick-off was later pushed back to 8.30pm ET before then being delayed again until 9.15pm ET with players warming up on the field before returning to the locker rooms.

The game eventually started at 9.22pm ET, some 82 minutes later than scheduled.

A statement from Copa America read: “We announce that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium. Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter the stadium once the gates are reopened.”

Copa América security. One gate open in SW corner, 90 mins before kick-off. Thousands of very hot fans out there. Problem waiting to happen. Not good pic.twitter.com/glEgYV2VAG

— Jack Lang (@jacklang) July 14, 2024

Supporters, including young children, were left stranded outside the stadium in large numbers with the searing heat in the area only adding to the issues.

Temperatures in the Miami area where the stadium is situated reached as high as 88 degrees. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue later set up a station inside the gate to help people showing signs of heat exhaustion.

Fans spoken to by The Athletic blamed organizers CONMEBOL, South American football’s governing body. “It’s a disaster,” one said. “They won’t even give water. Not even water!”

A Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) spokesperson told The Athletic there were multiple arrests for battery on a police officer, as well as multiple people for trespassing.

A statement from police later pointed to what they called “unruly behavior” from some supporters trying to enter the arena.

“We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final game,” it read. “These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium.

“We are asking everyone to be patient, and abide by the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel. We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all those attending. Unruly behavior will get you ejected and/or arrested.

“We have a zero tolerance behavior against unruly conduct from everyone attending.”

Pictures taken outside the stadium showed several people wearing Colombia shirts detained by police officers and security guards.

The Athletic witnessed people being removed from the queue to get into the stadium. One of those included a man with a cut to his head.

A police officer at the stadium earlier told The Athletic that gates by the southwest entrance, where VIPs and families of the players enter, were closed because of people trying to access the ground without tickets.

Hard Rock Stadium is set to host seven matches at the 2026 World Cup including a quarterfinal and the third-place play-off.

Stadium organizers blamed “unruly fans” for the incidents and said the decision to close security gates was to allow “ticketed guests to enter safely and in a controlled manner”.

A statement said: “Hard Rock Stadium takes pride in hosting world-class events year-round in a safe and successful manner. For the Copa America Final, the venue worked in collaboration with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement agencies. Preparations included an increase in the number of law enforcement officers and security on hand, with more than double the personnel than a typical at-capacity stadium event.

“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.

“Various stadium gates were closed and re-opened strategically in an attempt to allow ticketed guests to enter safely and in a controlled manner. Fans continued to engage in illegal conduct — fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property.

“When it became apparent that it would not be safe to start the match at 8 p.m., a joint decision was made to postpone.”

They also pledged to work with CONMEBOL to address “individual concerns” of those who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed.

Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County, and chief public safety officer James Reyes later condemned the scenes in a joint statement before pledging to fully investigate the causes.

“We are outraged by the unprecedented events at tonight’s Copa America finals,” it read. “The Copa America final is organized by CONMEBOL, and Miami-Dade Police Department provides security support along with other law enforcement agencies.

“Tonight MDPD assigned over 550 officers, including our Priority Response Team, to the stadium and is utilizing all possible resources to continue to ensure a safe experience for all attendees.

“In addition, MDPD brought in more personnel from other jurisdictions to support the safety and wellbeing of attendees.

“Our top priority must be the safety and security of all our residents and visitors, and we urge everyone in attendance at tonight’s game to abide by all directives from law enforcement and security personnel for the safety of all attendees.

“We have also received a security briefing from stadium operations regarding the plan to support fans in safely exiting after the game tonight, and again we continue to urge all attendees to pay close attention to all information and updates from law enforcement and stadium staff.

“Let’s be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again.

“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.”

The incidents in Miami come just a few days after the semifinal match between Uruguay and Colombia saw a number of players clash with supporters following the game on Wednesday.

Uruguayan players, such as Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez, were involved in altercations with coach Marcelo Bielsa later heavily critical of the tournament organizers.

The final of Euro 2020 three years ago saw ticketless fans gaining entry to Wembley Stadium for the game between England and Italy before the 2022 UEFA Champions League final held at the Stade de France in Paris was marred by chaos outside the ground.

Liverpool fans were trapped in bottlenecks and tear gassed by police as they struggled to enter the stadium with UEFA later reaching a settlement with those injured.

Additional reporting: Paul Tenorio, Felipe Cardenas

(Top photo: The Athletic)