Hooligans stormed the Copa América title match close to Miami, conserving scores of paying prospects exterior the stadium and elevating questions on whether or not the venue is ready for the World Cup in two years, officers mentioned Monday.
Ticketed followers mentioned they confronted “whole chaos” and “mayhem” once they tried to complete Exhausting Rock Stadium, the place Argentina defeated Colombia in a match that began almost 90 minutes late Sunday.
Exhausting Rock is about to be among the many 11 U.S. stadiums used for the 2026 World Cup, which can be being performed in Mexico and Canada.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava mentioned she has ordered “a full assessment of final evening’s occasions” in order that “we take all doable learnings going ahead as we put together for the 2026 World Cup.”
“I used to be outraged by the unprecedented occasions that befell,” she informed reporters at an occasion asserting the 2024-25 county finances.
Dr. Manuel Fonseca shelled out $3,600 for a pair of tickets to see all-time Argentinian nice Lionel Messi competing for, maybe, his closing main trophy.
“I have been to Exhausting Rock many instances, and I used to be anticipating a really secure atmosphere,” mentioned Fonseca, who, alongside together with his pregnant spouse, was saved exterior Sunday evening. “However once I obtained there it was whole chaos.”
A consultant for FIFA, the world soccer governing physique, which places on the World Cup, couldn’t instantly be reached for remark Monday.
As soon as nonticketed followers broke inside, some gates had been “closed and re-opened strategically in an try to permit ticketed visitors to enter safely and in a managed method,” Hard Rock Stadium operators mentioned in an announcement Monday.
The gate closures solely led to extra issues as some unruly followers “continued to interact in unlawful conduct — combating law enforcement officials, breaking down partitions and barricades and vandalizing the stadium,” the assertion continued.
Shut-out fan Rebeca Hwang informed NBC Information: “It was mayhem. I’ve by no means seen something like that.”
And as soon as the stadium reached capability, officers mentioned, they’d no selection however to maintain followers out, even these with tickets.
“We perceive there are disenchanted ticket holders who weren’t capable of enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we are going to work in partnership with CONMEBOL to handle these particular person issues,” the Exhausting Rock Stadium assertion mentioned, referring to the South American soccer confederation.
“Finally, there may be nothing extra vital than the well being and security of all visitors and employees, and that may at all times stay our precedence,” it mentioned.
Hwang mentioned she was crushed for her kids, 6 and 9, who spent months studying in regards to the groups and following competitors earlier than they flew to cross-country to Florida — solely to be “handled like criminals.”
“There was not a lot clarification, seeing individuals who illegally took our seats within the stadium, having fun with our seats, and we’re not even close to a bottle of water or medics,” mentioned Hwang, a lecturer at Stanford College. “We, the ticketed ones, had been handled like criminals behind the fences.”
Followers with tickets wandered from gate to gate in determined hope that somebody would allow them to inside.
“There have been so many individuals in the identical state of affairs, tons of of individuals simply going round to each exit,” Hwang mentioned. “‘Frustration’ can be the understatement of the century.”
Fonseca and his spouse saved wandering the stadium perimeter however gave up after they heard Shakira starting to carry out at halftime.
“There is no approach they are going to allow us to in,” Fonseca mentioned he thought to himself at that second.
The match had been scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., however because the gates grew to become bottlenecked, officers pushed again kickoff, first to eight:30 p.m., then 8:45 p.m. and at last 9:15 p.m., earlier than motion obtained underway at about 9:22 p.m.
Fonseca questioned whether or not stadium managers had been certified to deal with the World Cup in two years.
“It’s going to be rather a lot crazier, and I do not assume they are going to be prepared if it’s going to be like what we simply noticed yesterday,” he informed NBC South Florida.
There was even unrest inside Exhausting Rock after the sport when Ramón Jesurún, 71, head of soccer’s governing physique in Colombia, and his son, 43, had been arrested in a post-match scuffle with safety guards, officers mentioned.
They had been in a tunnel main towards the pitch when a uniformed safety guard, managing foot visitors, requested a number of pedestrians to cease, a Miami-Dade police report mentioned.
Jesurún and his son, who goes by the identical title as his dad, refused the order, which touched off a battle with safety, officers alleged.
Jesurún’s son kicked a safety guard within the head through the battle, police mentioned.
They had been booked into jail early Monday, and a consultant of the Colombian soccer federation couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.