The final of the Copa America soccer tournament between Colombia and Argentina was delayed by 30 minutes on Sunday night when fans without tickets tried to rush the gates outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Following the security breach, the announced start of the match was pushed back to 8:30 p.m. local time.
The incident occurred at the stadium’s southwest gate as fans, many wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors, ran through police and security guards before being tackled or otherwise apprehended.
BREAKING: The gates at Hard Rock Stadium have been breached and scores of fans have begun streaming in for the 2024 #CopaAmerica final. Police are scrambling to try and stem the flow of people. pic.twitter.com/fkoMMYGk8K
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) July 14, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The crowds were eventually pushed back.
Several people were seen receiving medical attention in the sweltering heat. It’s unclear how many were injuries or if anything was arrested.
As a result, all of the gates were locked down, further delaying ticket-holding fans.
“We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the COPA America final game,” Miami-Dade Police said in a statement. “These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior 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. Unruly behavior will get you ejected and/or arrested.”
A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 is expected where Argentina will look to defend its tournament title.
The incident comes days after the Colombia-Uruguay semi-final match where Uruguayan players Darwin Nunez and Ronald Araujo went into the stands at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. to confront fans they believe where threatening their family members.
