Fans climb through vents below stadium to get into Copa America final

In a daring bid to witness the Copa America final, fans were caught on camera trying to sneak into Hard Rock Stadium for the showdown between Argentina and Colombia.

Before the match even started, a throng of eager but ticketless soccer supporters made bold attempts to storm their way into Hard Rock Stadium. Social media was abuzz with images and videos of fans scaling fences and overpowering security to rush through the turnstiles.

The most audacious attempt involved fans using an underground ventilation system as their secret passage. A viral video showed more than a dozen fans clambering on water jugs to hoist themselves into an air vent.

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To curb the chaos and block further unauthorized access, stadium officials swiftly closed all gates. CONMEBOL, South American football's governing body, issued a stern statement amidst the pandemonium: "We inform that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium. Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter once access is enabled again."

Miami-Dade Police additionally released a statement deterring fans from forcing their way into the stadium without tickets. "We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final game," the message read. "These incidents have been a result of the unruly behaviour of fans trying to access the stadium.

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"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."

The chaos outside the venue also affected innocent bystanders, including young children and relatives of the players from Argentina and Colombia. A particularly distressing photo showed a young fan struggling to breathe while another child tried to soothe him.

The family of Colombian player Daniel Munoz was among those caught in the turmoil. Reports indicate that the 28-year-old defender's mother was left in tears and visibly distressed by the events, and his grandmother lost a shoe amidst the chaos at Hard Rock Stadium.

CONMEBOL initially postponed the start of the match by half an hour, declaring a new kick-off time of 8:30 p. m. ET. However, the delay was subsequently extended by over 45 minutes, with the game not commencing until approximately 9:15 - more than an hour after the originally scheduled start time.