Argentina prevailed in a 1-0 victory over Colombia to win the Copa América title after the game was delayed due to thousands of fans forcibly attempting to enter Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to watch the game.
The event began in a chaotic fashion as fans without tickets attempted to enter the venue, causing concerns about whether those with tickets would be able to get to their seats due to the arena being at maximum capacity.
Hard Rock Stadium issued a statement regarding the attempted entry by fans, writing before the game that fans were “fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property.”
One video of the incident posted by Tactical Manager on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows some fans attempting to enter the stadium through outside vents.
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
Later in the night, police could be seen walking through the crowd, checking the tickets of those in certain sections of the stadium while removing those who could not produce one.
Hard Rock Stadium said in its statement that it would work to address concerns from “disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed.”
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families, and the fans. We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight.”
Although there were initial discussions about potentially postponing the game, officials were able to get it started after more than an hour of crowd management.
Neither team was able to secure the victory through the first 90 minutes of action. The game was sent into extra time, where 37-year-old Lionel Messi had to be substituted out of what may be his final international game due to a noncontact ankle injury.
Argentina finally managed to claim the win after a goal in the 112th minute by Lautaro Martínez to give the country its record 16th Copa América title.
Ángel Di María, who previously announced that he would be retiring from the national team after Copa América, said it was “hard to describe” how he felt, but he believes the Argentinian victory was “written like that.”
“I told the guys last night at dinner that I dreamt it. That’s why I said it was my last Copa América. I dreamt we made it to the final and we won it so I could go out this way,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
“I’ll be always grateful to this generation who gave me everything, helped me win what I always wanted and today, I am leaving like this.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni discussed Messi’s injury after the match and said he “never wants to leave the pitch,” which was evident by his emotional reaction as he walked off.
“He has a swollen ankle and wants to keep playing. I prefer those players. He wants to play not because he is egotistical or selfish. He wants to keep playing because he doesn’t want to leave his teammates. … He was born to be on the pitch,” said Scaloni, per the Associated Press.
