The organizers of the 2024 Copa America Final will pay out millions of dollars to fans after the shambolic scenes outside the gates at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami led to spectators passing out and ticket owners being denied entry.
Hours before the game between Colombia and Argentina began, fans rushed the entrances – leading to organizers slamming the gates shut and allowing access slowly. As crowds started to form a crush, kickoff was pushed back and eventually the gates were opened to anyone and everyone.
It led to multiple thousands of people entering the stadium without tickets. Additionally, many who bought tickets were being shut out of the game.
This led to fans filing a class action lawsuit against the organizers of the event – namely CONMEBOL, Concacaf, Best Security, and South Florida Stadium LLC (the owner and operator of Hard Rock Stadium).
On Monday, a settlement was reached for all those defendants to collectively pay $14million to a fund which can be accessed by fans impacted by crowd trouble at the final.
The final payout totals per-person will depend on the number of people who submit claims.
CONMEBOL, Concacaf and more will pay $14million to fans at the 2024 Copa America Final
After fans crashed the gates, security only let in a few at a time – significantly delaying the process of people getting inside and leading to crowds and crushes forming outside
‘This case was about standing up for the fans,’ said attorney Jeff Newsome of the law firm Varnell & Warwick PA. ‘And today, the Named Plaintiffs and the entire Class Counsel team are proud to deliver real relief to the class members of the Copa American Class Action lawsuit.
‘We look forward to presenting the settlement to the Court.’
In the hours leading up to the game, fans were able to gain unauthorized access to the stadium early by rushing through the gates.
Security and Miami-Dade Police then closed the gates to the entrances and only let in a few people at a time. This measure slowed entry for fans, workers, journalists and others with valid access to the ground.
As time went on, crowds and crushes began to form outside the stadium. Fans were seen passing out at the gates from the pressure of the crowd and from the oppressive heat and humidity in the July afternoon.
Kickoff, which was initially set for 7:00pm ET, was delayed an hour and 20 minutes.
To alleviate the crowds and the crush, stadium staff temporarily opened the gates and let everyone through without checking tickets or running fans through security.
It led to startling scenes inside the stadium – where overcrowding was apparent and thousands who did not have tickets made their way inside.
Fans passed out due to the crushes and the oppressive July heat and humidity in South Florida
Then, moments before kickoff, security opened the gates to everyone to alleviate the crush
As a result, Hard Rock Stadium was thousands of people over capacity – leading to fans who had bought tickets to attend the game being denied at the gates outside
‘In collaboration with CONMEBOL and law enforcement officers, a decision was made to open the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter,’ a Hard Rock Stadium spokesperson told the Miami Herald on the day of the match.
‘There was serious concern of fans being crushed in order to enter. Law enforcement and security personnel were immediately deployed throughout the stadium and surrounding area to keep fans as safe as possible in light of this unprecedented situation.’
Fans who bought tickets found people without rightful access in their seats. When confronted, often those without the tickets would not leave and security was helpless to remove them.
Eventually, police began going through sections one-by-one checking tickets – however, it’s believed that only dozens were kicked out.
Even after kickoff, social media videos showed people climbing the gates and through vents to try and get inside.
Several people tried storming the ’72 Club’ and inside, escalators were destroyed and glass was smashed.
Post-match reports indicated that police made 27 arrests and ejected 55 people. One of the arrests was captured by Daily Mail Sport, with the person cuffed appearing to be a man with a media rights-holder credential.
As seen in this clip from @ManagerTactical, some fans accessed the stadium by AC vent
Police arrested 27 people and ejected 55 in a vain attempt to maintain order at the event
A statement from CONMEBOL after the game blamed stadium officials for failing to implement its recommended safety procedures.
Hard Rock Stadium officials responded with a statement of their own, saying they implemented and then exceeded the expectations CONMEBOL put forth.
Speaking to The Athletic, a Concacaf spokesperson said that ‘matchday ops, security, the physical running of the tournament is 100 percent CONMEBOL.’
Argentina won 1-0 in extra time thanks to a goal from Lautaro Martinez.
