Ticketed fans were thrown into “total chaos” and “panic chaos” at the Copa America final near Miami after hooligans stormed the stadium, forcing scores of attendees out, authorities said on Monday.
The thrilling match, which Argentina beat Colombia in extra time, went off about 90 minutes after it started late Sunday night because of unrest at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, site of the 2026 World Cup.
“I’ve been to the Hard Rock many times and thought it was a very safe environment,” said Dr. Manuel Fonseca, who was unable to buy tickets to attend the game with his pregnant wife, “but when we got there it was total chaos.”
The scene outside the Hard Rock was out of control, spectator Rebecca Phan said.
“It was chaos,” Fan told NBC News. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
When non-ticketed fans entered, several gates were “strategically closed and reopened” to allow ticketed guests to enter in a safe and controlled manner, the release said. Hard Rock Stadium Operator on monday.
The Hard Rock statement added that closing the entrances only created more problems, as some rowdy fans “continued to engage in illegal behavior, including fighting with police, destroying walls and barricades, and vandalizing the stadium.”
And stadiums have reached capacity limits, forcing them to bar even fans with tickets from entering, officials said.
“We understand the disappointment of ticket holders who were unable to enter the stadium after the border was closed and we will continue to work with CONMEBOL to address their individual concerns,” a Hard Rock Stadium statement said.
“At the end of the day, nothing is more important than the health and safety of all our guests and staff, which will always remain our top priority.”
Fan said she was devastated that her children, ages 6 and 9, had spent months learning about the teams and following the games, then flown across the country to Florida only to be “treated like criminals.”
“We watched as people who’d illegally taken seats in the stadium enjoyed our seats, with barely any explanation, even though we had no access to water bottles or even to medical staff,” said Fan, the Stanford University lecturer. “Those of us with tickets were treated like criminals on the other side of the fence.”
Fans with tickets wandered from gate to gate, desperately hoping someone would let them in.
“There were so many people in the same situation, hundreds of people circling the exits,” Huang said. “It’s just frustrating.”
Fonseca and his wife were walking around the stadium but gave up when they heard Shakira start playing during the intermission.
“There’s no way they’re going to let us in,” Fonseca said he thought at the time.
The match was scheduled to start at 8:00 pm, but due to congestion at the entrance, the referee postponed the kickoff, first to 8:30 pm, then to 8:45 pm, and finally to 9:15 pm, with the match starting at approximately 9:22 pm.
Fonseca questioned whether the stadium management was qualified to run the World Cup two years from now.
“It’s going to get crazier and if it turns out to be anything like what we saw yesterday, I don’t think they’re ready,” he told NBC Miami.
