Sunday’s Copa América final was pushed back nearly an hour and a half after fans rushed the Miami venue, resulting in some truly remarkable footage and photos from the globally viewed event.
In an initial statement shared Sunday night, the Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed "several incidents" had taken place prior to the gates being opened for fans at Hard Rock Stadium. Per police, such incidents were caused by "the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium." Hard Rock Stadium reps later specified that the issue was the presence of "thousands of fans without tickets," namely those they say were trying to "forcibly enter" the venue.
As part of an effort to get ticketed fans inside in a safe manner, the match, which was expected to begin at 8:00 p.m. local time, was delayed. Per a report from ABC News, the match was ultimately pushed back just under an hour and a half, with kickoff not coming until around 9:22 p.m. local time.
Subsequent statements saw local police saying they were "utilizing all our resources" for the game, while an in-depth news release shared by Hard Rock Stadium following the match acknowledged concerns and questions from ticketed fans who were caught up in the chaos.
"Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium, putting themselves, other fans, and security and stadium staff at extreme risk," a Hard Rock rep said, adding that "significant" property damage was also observed.
As for where the bulk of the criticism should fall, levelheaded commentators were quick to point out amid the sharing of expectedly headlined footage that one can point the finger at organizers.
The match itself, meanwhile, proved to be a victorious moment for Argentina, who beat Colombia to bag their 16th overall Copa América title. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, was forced into an early end for his Sunday night performance following an injury.