Sunday’s Copa America final between defending champions Argentina and bottom-placed Colombia was marked by ugly scenes that led to the game being postponed for 75 minutes.
Fans were unhappy with the way the organisers handled the Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina.
Minutes before the kick-off of the crucial match, fans were left stranded outside the gates of Hard Rock Stadium in the sweltering heat as security tried to contain them. Police and organisers responded forcefully after ticketless fans broke through the stadium’s gates, some even reportedly climbing over them.
As fans streamed into the stadium, police officers and other security personnel did their best to stop the rowdy crowd from invading the pitch. Some of the trespassers were detained by police, but the mayhem reportedly resulted in a credentialed journalist being mistakenly tackled.
Fans were not pleased with the organizers’ lack of preparation, with some even suggesting that the US could be overwhelmed by the number of fans at the World Cup in 2026. In a video that went viral on X, Argentina fans expressed their concerns about the way the Copa America final will be held.
“The US is not prepared to host the Copa America or anything,” the fan said in Spanish. “It’s a total disaster. No security, nothing!”
For the latest news, politics, sports and entertainment in the US, Mirror US .
Overall, many fans of both teams criticized the way the Copa America final was managed, especially the poor handling of the incident. As a result of this chaos, the final was postponed by 75 minutes to prioritize safety and allow ticket holders to watch the game for which they had paid.
In response to these incidents, South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL released the following statement to ensure fans knew that only certain spectators would be allowed into the stadium: “We would like to inform you that anyone without a ticket will not be allowed into the stadium,” the statement read.
“Once access resumes, only ticketed individuals will be allowed in. We would like to inform you that the match has been postponed by 30 minutes and will now start at 8:30 pm local time.”
Alongside CONMEBOL’s statement, the Miami-Dade Police Department released its own statement: “Several incidents occurred prior to the opening of the gates at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America Final,” the department’s statement began. “These incidents are the result of disorderly behavior by fans attempting to enter the stadium.”
“We ask that everyone remain patient and adhere to the rules set forth by security and Hard Rock Stadium officials. We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all attendees. Any irregular behavior will be subject to ejection and/or arrest.”
“We have zero tolerance for rowdy behavior from all participants.”
If the smaller Copa America final is not handled properly, it remains to be seen how the United States and the host cities will handle the 2026 World Cup.