Thousands of ticketless fans tried to enter Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium to attend Argentina vs Colombia game at the Copa America final held on Sunday, causing a big stir outside the stadium.
Lionel Messi’s team finished the game with a win after scoring in the extra time bringing home Argentina’s 16th Copa title, becoming the most crowned team in the competition’s history.
Angry supporters who did not have tickets for Sunday’s final jumped the turnstiles and scaled the walls surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. Many successfully evaded police and security; CCTV recorded them rushing through the stadium.
Police were chasing spectators and detaining those who did not appear to have match tickets. At least one Colombian supporter appeared to have been injured while being apprehended by security. Blood was seen dripping down the arrested man’s face while he was being led away in handcuffs.
In an attempt to restore order, officials locked down numerous stadium gates, with media reporting that the southwest gate was totally closed.
This proved to be a major inconvenience for many spectators that were in line, several of whom were apparently family members of players, who had purchased tickets to the game but were forced to wait outside the stadium in the blistering Florida heat.
Less than an hour before kickoff, many of the seats surrounding the pitch remained vacant, owing in large part to the long line of supporters waiting to enter the gates.
Just 30 minutes before the match was scheduled to begin, all gates leading into the stadium were closed.
The game finally began at 9:15 p.m. ET, 75 minutes later than scheduled.
Miami-Dade Police also issued a statement discouraging spectators from attempting to forcibly enter the stadium, writing: “We had multiple situations prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final game. These events were caused by boisterous supporters attempting to gain admission to the stadium.”