July 15 – Argentina retained the Copa America with a 1-0 win over Colombia on Sunday but the showpiece finale was overshadowed by yet more organisational issues that from the start beset the tournament in the United States – joint hosts of the next World Cup.
A goal by Lautaro Martinez after 112 minutes separated the sides with Lionel Messi forced to watch much of the second half and extra time because of a leg injury. But the final in Florida was delayed more than an hour because of crowd problems, including fans breaching security gates.
Hours before kick-off, fans broke through the gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, one of the host venues for the 2026 World Cup. Video posted on social media showed fans jumping over security railings and rushing past police officers and stewards.
Authorities responded by reportedly closing all stadium gates which left many ticketed fans unable to get in and left in sweltering heat and humidity. People could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes released a statement during the game saying the county assigned more than 550 police officers to the game.
“Let’s be clear: This situation should have never taken place and cannot happen again,” read the statement. “We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”
“It is tough to explain what happened before the game,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter afterwards. “We had players waiting for their family members to get into the stadium, waiting for an hour. We had to start a match without knowing where our family members were. I think the players for Colombia were going through the same thing. It was very weird.”
Hard Rock Stadium issued a statement after the game, saying that the stadium “takes pride in hosting world-class events year-round in a safe and successful manner.”
The venue noted that it worked in collaboration with Conmebol, Concacaf and local law enforcement agencies.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed,” the stadium said, “and we will work in partnership with Conmebol to address those individual concerns. Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.”
The commotion ahead of the final was the culmination of a series of issues throughout the 32-match tournament, from complaints about the playing surfaces to criticisms of officials and concerns about player safety.
After Argentina defeated Canada in the June 20 opener at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, both teams criticised the grass pitch which had replaced the venue’s regular artificial turf. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez described it as a “disaster”.
The tournament and its organisers were again heavily criticized after a brawl between players and Colombian fans following the semi-final while Canada coach Jesse Marsch said his team were treated like second-class citizens.
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