CONMEBOL blames Hard Rock Stadium authorities for Copa America Final chaos

Miami: South American soccer body, CONMEBOL, has blamed Hard Rock Stadium authorities for the "acts of violence caused by malicious individuals" at the 2024 Copa America final.

The final of the Copa America, between Colombia and Argentina, saw chaos at the entrances of the Hard Rock Stadium after thousands of unruly fans stormed the gates, which resulted in a delayed start of the game by 82 minutes.

Conmebol issued an official statement on its website expressing regret for the events and clarifying that the security operation was the responsibility of the venue authorities as per "contractual obligations".

"As it is already known, during the final held in Miami, fans without tickets went to the stadium's vicinity, which delayed the normal access of people who did have tickets, slowing down the entry and leading to the closure of doors.

"In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations," the CONMEBOL statement read.

"In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.

"We regret that the acts of violence caused by malicious individuals have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great sports celebration," it added.

In a video circulating on social media, fans were seen jumping over railings and bypassing police and stadium staff. In more severe instances, fans were captured on video climbing through vents to gain entry.