“Hundreds” of fans with tickets to the Copa America championship match near Miami were unable to get in after the entrances to the stadium were closed after thugs stormed the gates, officials said Monday.
Argentina’s win over Colombia in extra time started nearly 90 minutes late on Sunday night because of chaos at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The venue will be used for the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s confusing,” Mood fan Rebecca Hwang told NBC News on Monday. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Hwang said she was crushed for her children, ages 6 and 9, who spent months learning about the teams and traveling to Florida to follow the tournament — only to be “treated like criminals.”
“There’s not much explanation, we’re not even close to a bottle of water or medics to see people who illegally took our seats in the stadium enjoying our seats,” said Hwang, a Stanford University lecturer. “We who got tickets were treated like criminals behind the fences.”
As non-ticketed fans entered, some gates were closed and reopened in an effort to allow ticketed guests to enter in a safe and controlled manner. Hard Rock Stadium Operators on Monday.
The gate closure led to further problems as some unruly fans “continued to engage in illegal behavior — fighting with police officers, breaking down walls and barriers, and vandalizing the stadium,” the Hard Rock statement continued.
Once the stadium reaches capacity, there is no option but to keep fans out, even those with tickets, the official said.
“We understand that there are ticket holders who are disappointed that they are unable to enter the stadium after the perimeter is closed and we will work together. CONMEBOL to address those personal concerns,” according to the Hard Rock Stadium statement.
“Ultimately, nothing is more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always be our top priority.”
Fans wandered from door to door with tickets, desperate for anyone to let them in.
“There were many people in the same situation, hundreds of people going to each exit,” Hwang said. “Desperation would be the understatement of the century.”
The match was scheduled to start at 8pm, but due to jammed gates, officials pushed back the kickoff – first to 8:30pm, then 8:45pm and finally 9:15pm before the game started at around 9:22pm.
