Lionel Messi's Argentina are hoping to defend their Copa America title against Colombia on Sunday - with the final taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida
Chaos was aplenty in the moments leading up to the Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina.
Riots broke out as fans caused disturbances before the start of the match, with some supporters jumping the gates to get into Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Of note, it is being reported these fans do not have tickets to the final and have attempted to storm the turnstiles to gain access. The game was delayed by 75 minutes due to the chaos.
The gates were temporarily closed, with ticketed fans having to wait outside the arena by police and other security personnel. In many videos circulating social media, it appears as if some fans were grappling with police officers after making their way through the gates, with some spectators spotted with small children as well.
In some videos, police are seen detaining multiple fans. It is currently unclear how many unticketed fans were able to breach the stadium's gates before security gained control of the situation.
As a response to the situation, police temporarily closed the southwest gate of the stadium completely, despite the hot temperatures in Miami. The gates were eventually opened, leading a very sparse crowd inside the stadium with only minutes remaining before the start of Columbia and Argentina's clash.
What exacerbated the issue was how much tickets to the Copa America final cost. It was reported that tickets started at £1,542 ($2000), with some of the tickets going for as much as £51,496 ($66,765). Overall, the average cost of a ticket was £3,103 ($4,024).
Because of the incidents, the stadium was placed under lockdown and the final was delayed by 75 minutes as organisers attempted to get the situation under control. Players were pulled from the pitch as they continued their warmups as a result of what was happening around the stadium.
CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, released the following statement: "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. We inform that the match will be delayed 30 minutes, starting at 8:30 p.m. local time."
Miami-Dade Police also released a statement. It read: "We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa America final game. These incidents have been a result of the unruly behaviour of fans trying to access the stadium.
"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 behaviour will get you ejected and/or arrested. We have a ZERO TOLERANCE behaviour against unruly conduct from everyone attending."
It stands to reason why there would be heightened tensions surrounding this match. For Argentina fans, this game could represent the final time they see Lionel Messi lead the country to another Copa America title.
Meanwhile for Colombia, beating Messi and Argentina will break their Copa America title drought. The last time the Colombians won the Copa America was in 2001, which also happened to be the country's last international title.
Adding to the intrigue of the game is the fact that the referee for the final, Raphael Claus, has a history with the Argentinian legend. In 2020, Claus officiated Argentina's matchup with Paraguay, which left the Inter Miami star furious at how Claus called the game.
With the fans and official on full display and with history at stake for both sides, the Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina will be talked about, even after the match ends.
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