Shortly before the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium, ticketless fans attempting to enter the venue caused a lockdown, delaying the kickoff by over an hour. Around 6 p.m. local time, fans breached the gates, leading to chaos as they evaded security. Videos showed many without tickets entering the sold-out stadium, which holds 75,000 people. At least seven people were treated, and ten were arrested.
Security intermittently allowed fans in at a very slow pace, closing and reopening gates multiple times. Players checked on their families amid the chaos, with some fans fainting while waiting to enter. The game, originally set for 8 p.m., eventually started after 9:15 p.m.
Security gradually let people in but stopped checking tickets at one point, causing further issues inside the stadium. Ticketless fans occupied various areas, and it took most of the first half to clear them out. Many ticket holders were unable to enter despite spending significant amounts.
This incident is the latest in a series of security failures at the Copa America, following a brawl between Uruguay and Colombia fans in Charlotte days earlier. The situation echoed a similar security breach at the European Championship final at Wembley Stadium three years ago.
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