Hundreds of Colombian fans breached the gates at Hard Rock Stadium and many others were nearly crushed before Sunday’s Copa America Final against Argentina.
Scores of fans in yellow Colombian jerseys were seen forcing open iron gates and running onto the stadium grounds. It’s unclear if these fans had tickets or if they were simply gate crashers. A day earlier, organizers told fans not to travel to Hard Rock Stadium unless they had a ticket.
Sunday’s highly anticipated final featuring Argentina’s Lionel Messi was sold out.
The situation was eerily similar to the 2020 Euro final at Wembley in 2021, when hundreds of English fans stormed the gates and were able to force their way into the stadium.
Police were seen apprehending several individuals. In one instance, a man wearing what appeared to be a credential walked into the media entrance, where he was tackled and handcuffed by officers.
Police detain a fan of Colombia during the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Final match
The scene outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami was chaotic well before the 8pm kickoff
Fans forced the front gates open before pouring onto the Hard Rock Stadium grounds
‘It was crazy, people were just trying to get in like crazy,’ David Fernandez, a Colombia fan from Florida, told the AFP.
‘They just didn’t want to wait. They were just rushing over and running over. They’ve opened the gates three different times — it was good for two or three minutes and then everybody was just rushing.’
Another fan, Rosey Riales, told the AFP that the masses had grown impatient waiting for the gates to open.
‘People are just riled up and excited, so they’re pushing and it’s like mayhem,’ she told AFP. ‘They should have opened the gates sooner to let people in slowly.’
There was supposed to be heightened security at Sunday’s match following the post-game brawl that marred Colombia’s semifinal win over Uruguay. Several players rushed into the stands to brawl with Colombian fans, who were accused of harassing the players’ families during their team’s 1-0 win.
That heightened security led to long lines and masses of people crowding the southwest gate of the stadium. People struggled to move through the crowds as only a few people were let in at a time.
Near the press entrance, a push of people led to one woman requesting medical attention. One police officer was seen drawing his baton but did not use it.
