Copa America final descends into chaos after crowd rushes main entry gates

The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed by over an hour following a serious security breach at Florida's Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.

Several hours before kick-off was scheduled, supporters — some without tickets — broke through one of the main entry gates after rushing together.

Footage posted to social media showed people spilling over the security railings near the Southwest entrance of the stadium before running past police officers and stadium attendants to enter the venue.

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Officials attempted to direct fans back behind the security railings and lock down the entrance but a horde of people had already flocked to their seats.

In an attempt to control the situation, security began permitting a handful of fans to enter at a time. However, after waiting in sweltering conditions, this process only added to the frustration felt by attendees.

In a statement, Hard Rock Stadium alleged that "thousands of fans without tickets tried to forcibly enter the stadium."

The match ultimately got underway more than an hour after it was scheduled to start, with Argentina winning in dramatic fashion - scoring to break a 0-0 deadlock in extra time after captain Lionel Messi had been forced from the field with an ankle injury.