The Copa America final ended on Sunday night with Argentina grabbing its 16th title in a 1-0 win over Colombia, but it was the Miami-Dade Police Department that ran up the score.
By the end of the night, the game at Hard Rock Stadium saw a whopping 27 arrests and 55 ejections.
“Last night our law enforcement teams responded swiftly to handle an extremely challenging, dangerous situation posing life safety concerns for attendees,” Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes said in a statement.
“I am grateful to every single member of MDPD Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation as well as our partner agencies for working together to keep fans and our community safe, preventing any major incidents.”
Among those in wreaking havoc were Colombian football president Ramón Jesurún and his son Ramón Jamil Jesurún, who were allegedly involved in a physical altercation with security guards.
Fans trying to force their way through the stadium gates led to a delay of over 75 minutes; some became so desperate to get in, they were caught crawling through air vents and jumped over security railings.
There were 800 officers from various agencies trying to end the calamity, but the stadium was still torn to shreds.
Fans also hurled large bags of popcorn into the air following the game, adding to a stadium-wide mess.
“We are outraged by the unprecedented events and tonight’s Copa America finals,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement. “Let’s be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again. We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”
The multitude of incidents raised concerns among fans with the U.S. set to host the 2026 World Cup.
One X user wrote, “What a disgusting idea to know this country is going to host the World Cup in 2026.”
Another added, “The 2026 World Cup can’t be played in the United States. It’s a worldwide embarrassment.”
Reyes also addressed what the future holds for the United States and soccer, claiming changes will be made going forward.
“We are working with the event organizers to conduct a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols, as we continue to prepare for the World Cup 2026,” he said.
Credit: Source link
