Copa America final chaos: Argentina vs Colombia match postponed, fans trapped outside after gates are breached and sealed

The Copa America final in Miami was shrouded in confusion and fear even before kick-off, with thousands of fans stranded and increasingly crushed outside the gates of Hard Rock Stadium as security personnel tried, and apparently failed, to control the crowds arriving to watch Argentina play Colombia on Sunday.

All gates to the stadium were closed for an extended period of time, an hour before the scheduled 8pm kickoff, after which organisers announced that kickoff would be delayed until at least 8:30pm. Kickoff was then postponed until at least 9:15pm.

Meanwhile, fans were in distress. Children were crying. Several people were reported to have fainted. Several men were left bloody by police. As security refused to let fans in, the crowd knocked down barriers, sending children and parents screaming in panic.

At about 8:15 a.m., the situation reportedly got so bad that the gates were opened and fans were allowed in without having their tickets scanned, which seemed to be the only solution.

The chaos appeared to start when an unknown number of ticketless fans broke through at least one of the main entrance gates, streaming into the stadium’s concourse and forcing police and security guards to chase them.

The break-in prompted a heavy police response, after which the gate through which the break-in took place was sealed and the unrest appears to have worsened – even men holding up ID cards were brutally tackled.

Officials eventually responded by closing all gates to the stadium.

That meant many fans who had purchased tickets — reportedly including family members of several players — were denied entry and were stuck in crowded areas, sweating in the sweltering heat and South Florida humidity.

For a short period before the stadium was completely closed, a dozen police officers were lined up at the entrance, letting fans in one by one.

But there were still plenty of people gathered outside, hoping to get in, many of whom had paid hundreds, even thousands, of dollars for tickets.

Journalists at the scene said they and others were asked by police to stop filming the unrest, and the incident is likely to raise a range of important questions about the preparations by CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation that oversees the Copa America, and local organizers in Miami.

The Copa is not the first soccer tournament to struggle with crowd control, but the horrific scenes, which came four days after the semi-final ended in a brawl between players and fans, are consistent with widespread chaos at the tournament.

Video of Sunday’s mayhem began circulating at 5 p.m., shortly after the gates opened.

Images from the aftermath of the accident showed the destruction around the escalators at the entrance to the stadium.

Miami-Dade Police said in a statement afterward that “several incidents occurred prior to the gates opening” and were “the result of disorderly behavior by fans attempting to enter the stadium.”

CONMEBOL issued a statement warning fans that “anyone without a ticket will not be allowed into the stadium.” The statement was an empty one, as even fans with tickets were not allowed into the stadium.

Fans also used unusual methods to get into the venue, with videos posted to social media showing people trying to climb through air vents to get inside.

And it’s not just fans having trouble getting into the stadium, with CONCACAF staff still trying to get in outside the gates. According to reporter Simon Evans:.

As Evans noted, CONCACAF officials are not involved in match-day operations, a point that was made clear to anyone asking about the chaotic situation, via Felipe Cardenas of The Athletic.

During halftime, stadium officials commented on the situation through a spokesperson. From Safid Dean of USA Today.

“In cooperation with CONMEBOL and law enforcement officials, the decision has been made to open the stadium gates to all fans for a short period of time in order to prevent rampages and serious injuries around the stadium,” the statement said.

“There were serious concerns that spectators might be crushed attempting to enter the stadium,” the statement continued. “Given this unprecedented situation, police and security personnel were immediately deployed to the stadium and surrounding area to ensure the utmost safety of fans.”

It’s unclear how many fans were ultimately allowed in. Hard Rock Stadium has a capacity of about 65,000, and some fans reportedly arrived to find their purchased seats already occupied.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Follow Yahoo Sports’ live blog from the 2024 Copa America Final: