Liverpool stars Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister were forced to endure a nightmare buildup to Sunday's Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina .
In the hours and minutes leading up to the game, ticketless fans climbed the fences and broke through the gates at Hard Rock Stadium. Organizers temporarily closed the gates in response, with fans criticizing them for the chaotic scenes outside the venue.
As police officers and other security personnel attempted to defuse the chaos, many families and fans were affected in the process. Among those impacted was Mac Allister's family , as they attempted to make their way to their seats and through the gates.
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It's been reported that Mac Allister had to leave the Argentinian dressing room to find his family among the crowd. His family members were allegedly not allowed to enter the stadium - as a result of the incidents - with officials keeping the family waiting.
Also, Daniel Munoz's family was at the center of the chaos . One of Munoz's family members lost a shoe in the mayhem, which left his loved ones in tears with how the situation unfolded.
The match was delayed by over an hour due to the unruly scenes. Many Argentinian and Colombian players were visibly frustrated by the delays, as they were told repeatedly to leave and return to the pitch numerous times as organizers attempted to gain control.
CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, released a statement regarding the chaos among fans with and without tickets. "We inform that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium," the statement began.
"Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter once access is enabled again. We inform that the match will be delayed 30 minutes, starting at 8:30 p.m. local time."
Miami-Dade Police Department also released a statement of its own, denouncing the violence and all fans that breached the stadium's gates without tickets. "We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final game," the police department's statement said.
"These incidents have been a result of the unruly behaviour of fans trying to access the stadium. We are asking everyone to be patient and abide by the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel.
"We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all those attending. Unruly behaviour will get you ejected and/or arrested. We have a ZERO TOLERANCE behaviour against unruly conduct from everyone attending."
Both Argentinian and Colombian fans were very clear on how they thought the Copa America final was organized. The main message being shared by both fanbases was how the United States is not ready to host the 2026 World Cup, if it is not able to properly handle the Copa America final, a smaller event by all accounts.
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