U.S. congressman: Copa America final ‘wake-up call’ ahead of 2026 World Cup

Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), the co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, has said the chaos at the Copa América final “needs to be a wake-up call” for the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Sunday’s match between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium was marred by ugly scenes before the game that could have ended in tragedy.

Fans stormed through entry gates outside the stadium in Miami. In response, authorities closed all of the stadium’s entrances, causing a dangerous crush of fans stranded in the heat and humidity.

To avoid a possible tragedy, organizers allowed scores of fans to enter the stadium without their tickets being checked or going through metal detectors.

Speaking to Punchbowl News , LaHood said the chaotic scene had to be a learning experience for the U.S. ahead of serving as co-host of the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

“It needs to be a wake up call,” LaHood said. “The World Cup will be here in 2026. It’ll be the largest sporting event in the history of the world. We have to make sure that what happened in Miami on Sunday night never happens again.”

Though LaHood pointed out that CONMEBOL was responsible for organizing the Copa América, he admitted that the scenes over the weekend were still a black eye for the host country.

“It’s a bit of an embarrassment for the United States or for the stadium in Miami to have that kind of thing happen,” LaHood said. “That is not a reflection, I think, on the way that we run large sporting events in this country.”

What is the Congressional Soccer Caucus?

LaHood is one of five co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus , whose mission “is to encourage legislation, activities and events that promote soccer and issues affecting the greater soccer community.”

The U.S. Soccer Foundation provides information and support for the Caucus, which has 41 members from the U.S. House of Representatives.

Alongside LaHood, the other four co-chairs are Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wa.) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Ca.).

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