Chaos broke out ahead of the Copa America championship final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday night, causing the match to be delayed from 8:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. In the wake of the madness, the stadium was left trashed after security was forced to let fans without tickets to broach the gates, for fear that people would be crushed in the stampede.
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One video posted to social media by sports reporter Iván Kasanzew showed an escalator inside the stadium's lobby completely destroyed, with glass smashed and trash and debris littered everywhere and the handrails hanging down limply. Spectators could be heard in the background expressing shock at what had transpired.
South Florida sports analyst Geo Milian likewise posted photos of the destruction, calling it "barbaric and unacceptable."
In another video, fans could be seen ripping open giant bags of vendor popcorn in the concourse area and making a mess.
After fans breached the gates, Hard Rock issued a statement explaining why those without tickets were permitted to enter the venue.
“In collaboration with [Copa Libertadores] and law enforcement officers, the decision was made to open the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter," a spokesperson said. "There was serious concern of fans being crushed in an attempt to enter. Law enforcement and security personnel were immediately deployed throughout the stadium and surrounding area to keep fans as safe as possible in light of this unprecedented situation."
According to the New York Post , some fans even attempted to gain access inside the stadium by crawling in through the vents.
The ensuing melee left a free-for-all inside the stadium, which quickly became overcrowded. One ticket holder griped on social media that they were relegated to upper level seats due to tickets not being checked and seating not enforced.
As the chaos unfolded, the Miami-Dade Police issued a statement that there would be a zero tolerance policy for unruly behavior and that fans found in violation would be arrested or ejected.
"These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium," the department stated. "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."
In response to the chaos, Hard Rock Stadium officials issued a lengthy statement of their own explaining what happened that led to the mess and acknowledged the complaints of valid ticket holders.
"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," the statement said, per The Sun Sentinel . " We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns. Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority."
In the end, Argentina won the championship, beating Colombia 1–0, despite Lionel Messi being pulled in the second half due to a leg injury. Hard Rock Stadium is also one of the venues selected to host the 2026 World Cup, which gives the venue plenty of time to enact security measures to hopefully prevent a similar series of events.
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