Hooligans attacked the Copa America title match near Miami, paying scores of customers outside the stadium, raising questions about whether the venue will be ready for the World Cup in two years’ time, officials said Monday.
Ticketed fans said they faced “total chaos” and “damage” as they tried to fill Hard Rock Stadium as Argentina defeated Colombia in a match that started nearly 90 minutes late on Sunday.
Hard Rock is one of 11 American stadiums Used for the 2026 World CupIt is also played in Mexico and Canada.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Levin Cava said he had ordered a “thorough review of last night’s events” so that “we take forward all possible learnings as we prepare for the 2026 World Cup.”
“I am angered by the precedents,” he told reporters at the unveiling of the district budget for 2024-25.
Dr. Manuel Fonseca paid $3,600 for a pair of tickets to see Argentina’s all-time great Lionel Messi compete for his final major trophy.
“I’ve been to Hard Rock many times and I expected a very safe environment,” said Fonseca, who was kept outside with his pregnant wife on Sunday night. “But when I got there it was total chaos.”
A representative of FIFA, the world soccer governing body that runs the World Cup, could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.
As non-ticketed fans entered, some gates were closed and reopened in an effort to allow ticketed guests to enter in a safe and controlled manner. Hard Rock Stadium Operators on Monday.
The gate closure led to further problems as some unruly fans “continued to engage in illegal behavior — fighting with police officers, breaking down walls and barriers, and vandalizing the arena,” the Hard Rock statement continued.
“It’s chaos,” Mood fan Rebecca Hwang told NBC News. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Once the stadium reaches capacity, there is no option but to keep fans out, even those with tickets, the official said.
“We understand that there are ticket holders who are disappointed that they are unable to enter the stadium after the perimeter is closed and we will work together. CONMEBOL to address those personal concerns,” according to the Hard Rock Stadium statement.
“Ultimately, nothing is more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always be our top priority.”
Hwang said she was crushed for her children, ages 6 and 9, who spent months learning about the teams and traveling to Florida to follow the tournament — only to be “treated like criminals.”
“There’s not much explanation, we’re not even close to a bottle of water or medics to see people who illegally took our seats in the stadium enjoying our seats,” said Hwang, a Stanford University lecturer. “We who got tickets were treated like criminals behind the fences.”
Fans wandered from door to door with tickets, desperate for anyone to let them in.
“There were many people in the same situation, hundreds of people going to each exit,” Hwang said. “Desperation would be the understatement of the century.”
Fonseca and his wife wandered the perimeter of the stadium, but gave up after being asked Shakira started acting During the break.
“They’re not going to let us in,” Fonseca thought to himself at the time.
The match was scheduled to start at 8pm, but due to jammed gates, officials pushed back the kickoff – first to 8:30pm, then 8:45pm and finally 9:15pm before the game started at around 9:22pm.
Fonseka questioned whether the stadium managers were qualified to handle the World Cup in two years.
“It’s going to be pretty intense, and I don’t think they’re going to be ready if it’s like what we saw yesterday,” he told NBC South Florida.
Unrest erupted inside the Hard Rock after the game, officials said, when Ramon Jesurun, 71, and his son, 43, the head of Colombia’s soccer governing body, were both arrested in a post-match confrontation with security guards.
As they were in a tunnel leading to the pitch, a uniformed security guard directed foot traffic and told several pedestrians to stop, according to a Miami-Dade Police report.
Jesurun and his son, who goes by the same name as his father, defied orders to allegedly fight with security, officials said.
The football boss’ son kicked a security guard in the head during the fight, police said.
They remained in jail on Monday morning and a representative of the Football Association could not immediately be reached for comment.
