Hard Rock Stadium — the home of the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Hurricanes, and the 2026 World Cup — suffered what the venue’s leadership called “significant damage” when ticketless “criminals” stormed the venue before and during Sunday night’s Copa America final.
Our hemisphere’s biggest non-World Cup soccer event devolved into a disaster when an untold number of gate-jumpers overwhelmed security and breached Hard Rock Stadium for Sunday’s championship match, featuring Argentina and Colombia.
As a result, many legitimate ticket holders were unable to get into the event, despite spending thousands of dollars on passes. Others who were lucky enough to gain entry found their seats improperly occupied.
Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium Copa America Disaster Fallout
The hectic scene, which sadly is not unprecedented in international soccer but certainly foreign to American audiences, played out on national TV and social media Sunday night.
Videos went viral of trespassers climbing over fences, fighting with authorities, and even crawling into ventilation ducts to get access to just the second Copa America final played on U.S. soil.
More people getting into the game through… what??? The vent??
What is happening in the Copa America Final? pic.twitter.com/QKgkwEmnCW
— Tactical Manager (@ManagerTactical) July 15, 2024
Demand for the match was massive because of the star power of Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez and the large South American population in South Florida.
Hard Rock Stadium leadership, in a statement released very early Monday morning, wrote that “the venue worked in collaboration with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, and local law enforcement agencies” on logistics for the final, and had increased law enforcement and security personnel on site.
But it was clear pretty quickly that they were overmatched.
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“Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium, putting themselves, other fans, and security and stadium staff at extreme risk,” the statement read.
“Various stadium gates were closed and reopened strategically in an attempt to allow ticketed guests to enter safely and in a controlled manner. Fans continued to engage in illegal conduct — fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades, and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property.”
Pfft that man wasn’t ready for those spirals. My thighs and those of every South Florida child were molded by those.pic.twitter.com/fc32rEjajm
— Marlins Historian (@MarlinsHistory) July 14, 2024
The mayhem delayed the start of the match by over an hour due to safety concerns.
Organizers eventually decided to re-open the gates to all fans — whether they had a ticket or not — “to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter,” Hard Rock wrote.
“The gates were then closed once the threat of fans being crushed was alleviated. At that time, the venue was at capacity and gates were not reopened.”
Those who got in (even illegally) were allowed to stay in. Those who did not were out of luck — no matter how much they paid for their tickets.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns,” wrote Hard Rock Stadium, which is owned by Miami Dolphins chairman of the board/managing general partner Stephen Ross.
“Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families, and the fans. We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight.
“It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”
The long cleanup process has already begun, but time is of the essence to get the stadium back in order.
The Dolphins host the Atlanta Falcons in their preseason opener in less than just 25 days.