A Miami-Dade police review found that missing perimeter checks and failed intelligence allowed thousands of ticketless fans to breach the 2024 Copa América final.
The report said cars and supporters reached the parking areas around Hard Rock Stadium without being screened, leaving officers and stewards to confront an overwhelming crowd at the gates.
Ticketless fans force their way into Hard Rock Stadium
Argentina faced Colombia in Miami Gardens on 14 July 2024. Before kick-off, people climbed railings, pushed through entrances and ran past security.
The crush delayed the match by more than an hour. Miami-Dade police later reported 27 arrests and 55 ejections, despite deploying more than 800 officers.
Carmen Castro, chief of the police department’s Strategic Response Division, wrote that the crowd created a serious stampede risk. Officials eventually opened the gates to relieve the pressure and prevent fatal injuries, allowing thousands of people without tickets into the stadium.
Warnings fail to reach the security plan
There had been warning signs throughout the tournament. Large groups gathered outside team hotels, fighting broke out at a semi-final in Charlotte and other matches in Texas had experienced crowd trouble.
Castro said intelligence teams still failed to identify the risk of a mass attempt to enter the final.
“Had this information been known, our plan would have been modified for this contingency,” she wrote in passages published by Yahoo Sports.
Police call for checks farther from the stadium
The review recommended creating an outer security perimeter, with ticket and vehicle checks completed before supporters approached the stadium.
Miami-Dade officials said the lessons would shape preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
“We are working with the event organizers to conduct a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols,” county public safety chief James Reyes said in a statement reported by Reuters.
