The Copa America 2024 final, held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 14, was full of security and crowd control issues. Thousands of fans without tickets tried to forcibly enter the stadium, causing chaos both inside and outside the venue.

Another fiasco at the Copa America

The trouble started a few hours before the match when around 7,000 people without tickets broke through the barriers and entered Hard Rock Stadium. These crowds caused overcrowding and posed a serious threat to other spectators, security and the police. Desperate fans even climbed into the air vents. As a result, the start of the match, which was scheduled to begin at 20:00 local time, was delayed for 82 minutes, during which the security services tried to get the situation under control.

During the match, security continued to check tickets and tried to ease the crowded sectors. 550 Miami-Dade police officers were directed to the scene and made numerous arrests for trespassing and assaulting officers. High temperatures of up to 31°C further aggravated the situation, forcing the fire brigade to set up a rescue point for the affected fans. The crying of children and the terror of parents added to the chaos.

Fans who climbed into the air vents

And still… Argentina

On the pitch, the match was less intense. Argentina's goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, showed some key interventions against an aggressive Colombia. The final took a dramatic turn when Argentina's captain, Lionel Messi, had to leave the pitch due to injury in the 64th minute. Despite these difficulties, Argentina claimed victory in extra time thanks to Lautaro Martínez, who scored the decisive goal in the 112th minute after a pass from Giovani Lo Celso. This victory gave Argentina their second consecutive Copa America championship.

The incidents at Hard Rock Stadium have sparked widespread discussion about security, especially given the 2026 World Cup that the US, Mexico and Canada will host. Is the US ready to welcome even more fans and national teams? Problems with the organisation of Copa America 2024, bad turf and other shortcomings do not give much hope for the success of the event.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak