Chaotic scenes took place at the entrance to the final of the Copa America in Miami. Spectators were injured and had to be treated.
When Lionel Messi climbed onto the winner’s podium and found his beaming smile again in the confetti rain in Miami, all the chaos surrounding this Copa America final was forgotten for a moment.
“Campeones, Campeones” echoed through the Hard Rock Stadium – before the authorities began to investigate an alarming evening.
An admission drama with tears, panic and tumult caused great concern among those responsible two years before the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. “To be clear: This situation should never have happened and must not be repeated,” the television station CNN quoted from a joint statement by the mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, and the head of the Department of Public Safety, James Reyes. An investigation has been ordered. One thing is clear: the security deficiencies will continue to keep the authorities busy.
Fans try to get into the stadium by any means
What happened? According to a stadium spokesman, “thousands of fans without tickets” tried to “force their way into the stadium.” According to information from Spiegel Online, there were long queues in front of the entrances because the security forces artificially reduced the number of entrances in view of the possibility of fake tickets and the attempts of individual fans to get into the stadium without a ticket. Police officers are also said to have beaten spectators.
But because the fans were pushing from behind – partly out of fear of missing the kick-off – panic broke out in the crowd behind the barriers in temperatures of around 30 degrees. Some people had to be given medical treatment. Pictures on the Internet also showed children in some dangerous situations.
Kick-off delayed by 82 minutes
In the meantime, the officials managed to push the crowds behind the gates and block the entrance so that no one could get in. People were then temporarily allowed back in, before another stop brought frustrated spectators back through the barriers.
Eventually, order broke down completely: the bars at the entrance gates gave way and people streamed into the stadium. There was serious concern that fans could be crushed at the entrance.
As a result of the chaos, kick-off was postponed several times – first to 2:30 a.m. CEST, then every 15 minutes. The Brazilian referee Raphael Claus finally blew the whistle to kick off the match at 3:22 a.m. CEST (9:22 p.m. local time), 82 minutes late.
Problems earlier
There had already been problems and commotion in the stands in the semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia (0:1). The impressions from Miami, which will host the match for third place in 2026, among other things, intensified the security discussion in relation to the mega event with 48 teams and 104 games in two years. Then Messi – probably as a football pensioner – will also be looking forward to North America.
No award ceremony: Colombia’s football boss arrested
For Colombia’s soccer boss Ramon Jesurun, the final is likely to have legal repercussions. According to Miami police, officers arrested the association president for an attack on an official/security officer after the final.
According to the complaint, Jesurun, also vice president of the South American continental association Conmebol, intervened physically in an argument between his son and the official. Jesurun and his family members had apparently not been granted access to the award ceremony inside the arena. Jesurun’s offspring then got into an argument with the security guard.
