WHAT HAPPENED?
Ahead of Sunday night’s Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium, fans without tickets rushed past gates, climbed fences, and pushed their way past turnstyle. The scheduled start time of 8 p.m. EST was postponed to 9:15 p.m. EST due to the incidents and ensuing traffic.
Before kickoff, supporters were swarming the aisles and walkways as crowds of about 7,000 individuals entered the stadium without tickets, according to multiple accounts. After the game began, security guards attempted to remove certain areas and then verified that spectators who were standing had tickets.
USA Today stated “10–15 arrests” have been made by Miami-Dade police before to kickoff. Tensions increased before Miami-Dade Fire Rescue could get on the scene to offer assistance.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The match’s gates opened over two hours later than scheduled, leaving some supporters sweltering in temperatures above ninety-nine degrees Fahrenheit.
Prior to kickoff, the stadium was packed, forcing people into uncomfortable situations. As a result, attendance was slow. According to The Athletic, a spectator wearing a Colombia jersey was “revived” by emergency staff on the spot, even though it seemed like she was asleep.
The match was postponed due to “unruly behavior” by supporters, according to a statement issued by Miami-Dade Police.
DID YOU KNOW?
Coming into the game, Colombia had won 28 straight games. Meanwhile, Argentina wants to win the title again.
WHAT NEXT?
First, the kickoff was rescheduled for thirty minutes, then for forty-five minutes, and finally for 9:15 p.m. ET local time in Miami. Players from both teams were requested by CONMEBOL officials to leave the field and head back to their locker rooms during warmups.
According to FOX Sports, all of the stadium’s gates opened around 8:20 p.m., and the stadium was briefly placed under “lockdown.”
