The 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia has been a complete mess from the very start. Sunday’s soccer match was delayed 75 minutes due to a security breach, leading to thousands of spectators entering Hard Rock Stadium without a ticket.
How would that happen? We now have pretty clear visual evidence of one security weakpoint: the air vents. Seriously, one person was able to record several fans sneaking into the stadium by climbing into overhead vents prior to the start of the match.
Now, as soccer reporter Favian Renkel notes, overcrowding has become a big issue. What’s happening is several fans are arriving at their pre-purchased seats, but are finding someone already in their spot. The craziest part is that security was telling fans that there’s nothing they can do about it before later taking action by removing fans without a ticket.
Oddly enough, Hard Rock Stadium is set to host games for the 2026 World Cup, but this example shows the venue has a long way to go before being ready for another highly-anticipated soccer match.
Hard Rock Stadium is also known for being the host of the Miami Dolphins, so they’ll need to do some reconstruction before the start of the NFL season now that people are climbing in through the vents. The Dolphins’ first home game of the season comes on August 9, when Miami hosts Atlanta for their first preseason matchup of the year.
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