Copa América Fans Wreak Havoc At Argentina Vs. Colombia Final, Wreck Stadium

CHAOS AT THE COPA

Click Image to Open Gallery

The start of the Copa América final on Sunday was delayed by over an hour after unruly fans created absolute chaos outside of the event ... and people's behavior didn't get much better once action finally got underway -- as parts of the stadium were left destroyed.

The highly anticipated Argentina vs. Colombia game was slated to kick off at 5 PM PT at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami ... but when supporters from both sides bum-rushed gates in an effort to illegally gain entrance to the contest, officials put a pause on everything.

Check out some images from the outside of the venue ... it was complete mayhem. Fans climbed fences, packed gates, scaled walls -- and even slogged through vents in attempts to get by security to catch the championship game in-person.

It got so scary, officials actually had to close off gates completely ... and said they only reopened them for a brief time to "prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter." Gates were then closed once the stadium was deemed to be at capacity.

The game finally kicked off at around 6:30 PM ... and it was a good one -- Lionel Messi 's Argentina squad was able to pull out a 1-0 victory -- but the drama away from the pitch didn't stop.

Fans complained that people who didn't have tickets were squatting in their seats and refused to leave. Others were seen on video making messes all across the venue -- littering the ground with popcorn. An escalator was also demolished in the disorder.

Police said multiple arrests were made.

As for Hard Rock Stadium, officials said in a statement released early Monday morning that "significant damage" was done to the venue ... although they were "grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families and the fans."

"We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct," they said. "It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior."

They added they're launching a probe to ensure similar situations never happen again.

It was not the only ugly scene that went down at this year's Copa América tournament ... just days prior, Uruguay's Darwin Núñez leaped into the stands following a game in Charlotte against Colombia and brawled fans.