Hard Rock Stadium was not prepared for the madness that ensued Sunday during the Copa America Final between Argentina and Colombia.
The 65,300-capacity stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. was completely sold out for the tournament’s title match. But that didn’t stop thousands of ticketless fans from trying to make their way into the venue.
Kick-off between the two squads was delayed for over an hour due to a security breach in the stadium. Fans from both nations were seen leaping the gates as security scrambled to keep the situation under control.
BREAKING: The gates at Hard Rock Stadium have been breached and scores of fans have begun streaming in for the 2024 #CopaAmerica final. Police are scrambling to try and stem the flow of people. pic.twitter.com/fkoMMYGk8K
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) July 14, 2024
Some used ladders to climb over the ticket stands.
Fans are still sneaking into the stadium even with the game about to start. #CopaAmerica pic.twitter.com/L7i0Vf9wam
— Favian Renkel (@FavianRenkel) July 15, 2024
Others got even more creative with their trespassing by taking a page right out of Ethan Hunt’s playbook. A video of fans crawling through the ventilation system at the stadium Mission Impossible-style went viral on X.
More people getting into the game through… what??? The vent??
What is happening in the Copa America Final? pic.twitter.com/QKgkwEmnCW
— Tactical Manager (@ManagerTactical) July 15, 2024
Crowd-related chaos aside, Argentina won a tremendous 1-0 affair against Colombia to take home back-to-back Copa America trophies.
La Albiceleste was able to survive despite superstar Lionel Messi suffering a gruesome injury midway through the second half.
