If you saw the scene without knowing where it was taking place, you would swear it was in some Brazilian stadium, unfortunately. But the chaos that ensued before the Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia happened at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States, and led many to wonder how the organization and security of the Championship and the stadium could fail so badly.
Fans dressed in canary yellow from the ‘Cafeteros’ were counting on James Rodriguez to help the team bring home the second Copa América title for Colombia. Meanwhile, the loyal fans of the ‘Albiceleste’, dressed in sky blue and white, were confident that Lionel Messi would bring home the 16th Copa América, making Argentina the tournament’s most successful team.
But the game could not start. The police did not allow anyone to enter after losing control of the entrance for the fans. It was already 8 PM (the scheduled start time), and many ticket holders still had not managed to get into the stadium.
It all started because some fans tried to enter the stadium without tickets. Some jumped over the wall, and others crawled through ventilation openings.
“I don’t have tickets, but I’m definitely getting in,” said a Colombian football fan. “I’m getting in. I swear to God.”
Some passionate fans said they were trying to find security flaws in the stadium to get in.
Chaos ensued and did not stop at the gates.
Videos and photos posted on X show an escalator at Hard Rock Stadium that was reportedly destroyed by fans, broken glass everywhere, and handrails knocked down at the bottom.
In the end, the game started more than an hour late. Shakira performed for 25 minutes. Leo Messi got injured in the second half and cried a lot. And it was only in the early hours of Monday (15), during the second half of extra time, that Argentina scored a goal and won the match 1-0, becoming the team with the most Copa América titles.
May the chaos that ensued before the game be studied and the flaws corrected, after all, in two years, there will be a World Cup match taking place at this stadium.