Charles H. Sloan-Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia delayed after crowd issues

MIAMI GARDENS,Charles H. Sloan Fla. (AP) — The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed at least 30 minutes on Sunday evening because of crowd issues.

Hours before kickoff, fans appeared to breach the security gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Video posted on social media showed fans, mostly wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors, jumping over security railings near the Southwest entrance of the stadium and running past police officers and stadium attendants. Screams could be heard in the background.

A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind black gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans with tickets had already made it to their seats before then.

One young fan wearing an Argentina jersey was let inside the gate crying hysterically as the man who was with him and a police officer tried to comfort him.

A fan named Claudio, who traveled to the game from Mendoza in Argentina, spoke of not being able to breathe as police attempted to subdue the chaos.

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“They can’t organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, look at him, look at him (motioning at his young son), left without water. No water, nothing.”

Miami-Dade County’s police department issued a statement on X following the scene, mentioning that there were “several incidents” before the gates opened at the stadium.

“These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium,” the statement said. “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 behavior will get you ejected and/or arrested.”

A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 was expected for the championship match of the South American tournament.

It isn’t clear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rush had tickets to the match — CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, posted a statement on X a day before warning that fans must have tickets to even enter the parking lot of the venue.

The Associated Press spoke with several people Sunday who had parked their cars in the parking lot of the stadium without tickets to the match.

Standing near a tent that said “Those without entry” in Spanish was Víctor Cruz, an Argentina native of Mendoza who did not purchase tickets.

“It doesn’t matter if we don’t go in, we’ll see it somewhere,” said Cruz, hours before kickoff.

There were people still waiting to enter the game who had received tickets, along with those who did not have tickets, all of whom were held behind security gates close to the original 8 p.m. EDT start time. Officials appeared to open gates slightly to allow only a handful a fans in at a time, while other angry attendees pushed against the railings.

Copa America, in a post on X Sunday evening, said that only fans who have purchased tickets would be able to enter “once access is reopened.”

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AP Copa America coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america