A Colombian fan needs help.
Image: dpa
There is chaos in Miami before the Copa América final.
Image: dpa
Colombian fans wait to get into the stadium.
Image: dpa
A Colombian fan needs help.
Image: dpa
There is chaos in Miami before the Copa América final.
Image: dpa
Colombian fans wait to get into the stadium.
Image: dpa
Things get chaotic in Miami before the Copa América final. Fans break through barriers and some require medical treatment. This also causes concern with a view to the 2026 World Cup.
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- The final match at the Copa América between Argentina and Colombia was kicked off more than an hour late.
- The reason for the delay was chaotic conditions in front of and inside the stadium. Fans from both fan camps tried to gain entry without a ticket.
- "To be clear, this situation should never have happened and cannot happen again," the city of Miami said in a statement, according to the AP news agency. An immediate investigation was announced.
Chaotic conditions surrounding the Copa América final have also raised security concerns with regard to the 2026 World Cup. The final match between Argentina and Colombia (1:0 after extra time) in Miami started more than an hour late on Sunday evening due to sometimes frightening crowd problems and fans breaking through the security gates. The stadium in Miami Gardens will also be the venue for the upcoming World Cup in two years' time.
Fans try to get into the stadium by any means necessary
Videos published on social media showed mainly Colombian fans jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance and running past security staff. Screams could be heard in the background and fans were trapped. Scenes were also shown of people needing medical treatment and asking for water in the oppressive South Florida heat. Some apparently tried to get into the arena by climbing into the ventilation systems.
"To be clear, this situation should never have happened and cannot happen again," the city of Miami said in a statement, according to the AP news agency. An immediate investigation into the events was announced, with the authorities and organizers wanting to prevent such problems from happening again.
Did many fans not have tickets?
In the meantime, officials managed to push the crowds behind the gates and close off the entrance so that nobody could get in. People were then temporarily allowed back in before frustrated spectators broke through the barriers again after another stop. A statement was also released by the organizers of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, stating that "thousands of fans without tickets tried to force their way into the stadium".
It was initially unclear whether there were actually more than 65,000 fans in the sold-out arena. The police spoke of chaotic conditions and also cited "unruly behavior by fans" as the reason why the situation escalated.
dpa
