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The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia kicked off after a delay of over an hour as fans broke through the entrance gates of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
More than a dozen people were detained and some were injured, requiring medical treatment, as chaos ensued ahead of the match, which Argentina went on to win 1-0 after extra time, Lautaro Martínez scoring the winner late on.
Fans started arriving about three hours before the 8pm start time for the final, waiting in the humidity and heat for the gates to be opened.
The gates were opened but quickly closed again as security officials witnessed heavy crowding and called for all fans without tickets to leave the area.
Officials initially decided to push back kickoff by 45 minutes to manage the crowd, moving it to 9.15pm.
The crowd grew impatient and frustrated with the delays caused by an increased security presence amid intense heat, and some of them reported heat exhaustion.
Security allowed fans to re-enter slowly at around 8.10pm but the chaotic scenes continued, as fans tried to break through the railings and some began climbing over fences to get inside.
A Hard Rock Stadium spokesperson said in a statement that “thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter the stadium, putting other fans, security and law enforcement officers at extreme risk”.
Detective Luis Sierra of Miami-Dade police said: “A bunch of fans stormed one of the gates and went into the stadium while the stadium was still closed.”
Police said “these incidents have been the 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."
A fan named Claudio, who travelled to the game from Mendoza in Argentina, told the Associated Press that they felt unable to breathe as police attempted to subdue the chaos.
“They can’t organise a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, look at him, look at him (motioning at his young son), left without water. No water, nothing.”
A sellout crowd of over 65,000 was anticipated for the championship match. In the stands, there was a fairly even split between fans of Argentina and Colombia, although there seemed to be more yellow Colombia gear.
Argentina won the Copa America championship in a nail-biting match, beating Colombia 1-0 with a goal in extra time. It was defending champions Argentina’s record 16th Copa America title.
It was a perfect send-off for Lionel Messi in what was likely his last international tournament, despite an ankle injury in the second half that left him unable to see out the match.
