Copa América final chaos as fan security breach creates dangerous scenes

CONMEBOL will face many questions after a security breach caused severe fan congestion and delayed the Copa América final.

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami hosted the mouth-watering match on Sunday, and thousands of fans travelled to represent Argentina and Colombia.

However, initial reports from CBS Sports and ESPN revealed some fans were jumping the gates without tickets.

Hard Rock Stadium closed all the gates to mitigate the issue, leaving thousands of fans stranded outside in the sweltering heat. Images of children crying and security carrying fans who fainted were posted across social media.

Due to the situation, kickoff was delayed until 9:23 p.m. EST - about an hour and a half from the original time.

Additional reports in the United States claimed security later opened the gates and let in fans without scanning tickets to help with the congestion. The stadium was over capacity, forcing fans to stand in the aisle. Videos on social media showed some fans crawling through vents to get into the stadium.

Argentina news outlet TyC Sports reported midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was forced to leave the lockerroom to ensure his mother entered safely.

The Miami Dade Police Department released the following statement before the game finally began:

“We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final game. These incidents have been a 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.

“We have a zero tolerance behavior against unruly conduct from everyone attending.”

Meanwhile, some fans who did in fact have tickets were denied entry due to the stadium being too full.

The 2024 Copa América already faced criticism for its lack of security after Colombia fans clashed with Uruguay players after the semi-finals.