'Not a good look for the US': Soccer fans riot in Miami, delay start of Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia

The final for the Copa America soccer tournament was delayed for more than 75 minutes after fans rioted and breached the gates of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

The final between Argentina and Colombia was the championship match of the Copa America, an international tournament that features teams from South America and North America.

With an intended start time of 8 p.m., the game didn't get underway until about 9:22 p.m; fans caused disturbances by jumping gates, pushing through fences, and even attempting to enter the stadium through ventilation systems.

Police eventually completely closed off the stadium gates, causing ticketed fans to wait outside as police and security attempted to contain the chaos and arrest those busting their way into the stadium. According to the Mirror, a number of fans grappled with police despite some having small children with them, as well.

'This [is] also not a good look because this is happening on our watch.'

Miami-Dade County police released a statement at the time about "several incidents" outside the stadium gates:

"These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium," the police said, according to Fox Sports. "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."

At that point, the game was given a new start time:

"We inform that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium. Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter once access is enabled again," said CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American soccer.

"We inform that the match will be delayed 30 minutes, starting at 8:30 p.m. local time."

Mostly Colombian fans were seen in videos online rushing stadium entrances and evading police.

Due to delays in the 88-degree weather, several individuals received medical treatment while waiting outside the stadium.

As the start time approached, Fox Sports reporter relayed that the situation had "not been de-escalated," which led to another delay until 8:45.

Argentina players reported feeling "helpless" as some of their family members were unable to get into the stadium just minutes before the new start time. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was one of those players, concerned about his young kids not getting inside safely.

Footage by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

After yet another delay, pushing the start time back to 9:15, soccer analyst Alexi Lalas commented that the security issues were a sight for sore eyes given that the 2026 World Cup is set to take place in the United States, along with Mexico and Canada.

"This [is] also not a good look because this is happening on our watch, in our country ... this is not a good look for the U.S. less than two years out of the World Cup," he said.

After an eventual 9:22 p.m. start, Argentina won the game 1-0 with a goal in extra time, in the 112th minute by Lautaro Martínez.

During the game, fans were seen getting ejected from seats that appeared not to be theirs, which highlighted another gripe fans had with the final. According to Forbes, tickets started as low as $2,000 and went as high as $66,765. The average cost was just over $4,000. For the rest of the tournament, tickets were about $200.

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