Fans appeared to breach the security gates at Hard Rock Stadium hours before the Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday evening.
Videos posted on social media showed fans jumping over security railings near the south-west entrance of the stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and running past police officers and stadium attendants. Tickets were not being scanned and few police officers or stadium officials could be seen in the sea of people.
Some fans started climbing over fences to get in, while video captured a group of fans climbing through vents to enter the stadium.
A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind black gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans had already made it to their seats before then.
One young fan wearing an Argentina jersey was let inside the gate crying hysterically as the man who was with him and a police officer tried to comfort him.
A fan named Claudio, who traveled to the game from Mendoza in Argentina, spoke of not being able to breathe as police attempted to subdue the chaos.
Miami-Dade County’s police department issued a statement on social media after the scene, mentioning that there were “several incidents” before the gates opened at the stadium.
“These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium,” the statement said. “We are asking everyone to be patient, and abide by the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel. We are actively working with Hard Rock Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all those attending. Unruly behavior will get you ejected and/or arrested.”
A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 was expected for the championship match of the South American tournament.
It isn’t clear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rush had tickets to the match – Conmebol, South America’s governing body, released a statement a day before warning that fans must have tickets to enter the venue.
The tournament has been marred by organizational problems and security concerns. Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa criticized the competition’s organizers after a brawl between his players and Colombian fans, and Canada coach Jesse Marsch said his team was treated like second-class citizens.