Social media videos showed fans jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance of the stadium, bypassing police officers and stadium staff.
The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed by over an hour on Sunday evening due to crowd control issues.
Hours before the match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one of the 2026 World Cup host sites, fans breached security gates.
Videos posted online depicted fans, mainly in Colombia's yellow and red colors, jumping security railings near the stadium's southwest entrance, running past police and attendants. Screams were heard in the background.
A few people received medical treatment and asked for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers managed to push the crowd behind black gates and secure the entrance, though many ticketed fans had already reached their seats.
A young fan in an Argentina jersey was let inside the gate, crying hysterically, while a man with him and a police officer tried to comfort him.
Officials slightly opened gates to let a few fans in at a time, while other frustrated attendees pushed against the railings.
Security began readmitting fans slowly around 8:10 p.m., with a new kickoff time set for 9:15 p.m., but the chaos persisted. Fans continued breaking through railings, running in multiple directions, with tickets not appearing to be scanned. Some fans climbed over fences to gain entry.
A fan named Claudio, who traveled from Mendoza, Argentina, spoke of struggling to breathe as police tried to control the chaos.
“They can't organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” Claudio said in Spanish. “People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. Look at that senior citizen, left without water," he said, pointing to his young son. "No water, nothing.”
Miami-Dade County’s police department issued a statement on X after the incident, noting “several incidents” before the gates opened.
“These incidents are due to unruly fans trying to access the stadium,” the statement said. “We urge everyone to be patient and follow the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium staff. We are working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all attendees. Unruly behavior will result in ejection or arrest.”
Players began warming up on the field at about 8:38 p.m.
Hard Rock Stadium also released a statement, saying “thousands of fans without tickets tried to forcibly enter the stadium.”
“All fans without tickets MUST leave Hard Rock Stadium premises,” the statement said. “A successful and safe match is our top priority.”
A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 was anticipated for the championship match of the South American tournament.
It remains unclear which fans who entered during the rushes had tickets. CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, issued a statement on X the day before, warning that fans needed tickets to enter even the stadium’s parking lot.
The Associated Press spoke with several people on Sunday who parked at the stadium without tickets.
Near a tent labeled “Those without entry” in Spanish, Víctor Cruz, an Argentina native from Mendoza without tickets, said, “It doesn’t matter if we don’t go in, we’ll see it somewhere,” hours before kickoff.
Fans with tickets and those without were held behind security gates close to the original 8 p.m. ET start time.
Copa America, in a post on X Sunday evening, said only fans with tickets would be allowed to enter once access was reopened.