‘Violent’ soccer fans destroy an entrance at Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium during Copa America final

On July 14, thousands upon thousands of soccer fans from Argentina and Columbia poured into the Dolphins Hard Rock Stadium, some of them without any ticket leading to chaos and property damage.

‘Violent’ soccer fans destroy an entrance at Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium during Copa America final

Soccer fans damage properties at Dolphins Hard Rock Stadium during Copa America 2024 final between Argentina and Columbia (Image via IMAFO/ X)

Copa America organizers failed to predict the crowd turnout for the 2024 final between Argentina and Columbia. As a result, Miami Dolphins Hard Rock Stadium paid the price.

Fans of both teams began to take over Florida even as early as Friday to catch a glimpse of soccer stars Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, and James Rodriguez. On July 14, Sunday, the intensity tripled as hoards of hopeful spectators poured into the Dolphins’ home in Miami Gardens.

Witnessing the large crowd, the security had to temporarily stop entry because several fans with no tickets managed to evade them and enter the stadium. The organizers announced they had to delay kick-off for 30 minutes until additional security and police arrived on the premises to regain control.

FS Video

Despite their best efforts, the fans managed to find ways to enter. Several videos of the chaos surfaced on social media, revealing the ways fans tried to break in. At the same time, some ran past the ticket booths, and a few gained access through the AC duct.

Marks of the rush were scattered throughout. One video showed the stairwell leading to the 72 Club entrance was completely destroyed, leaving garbage and broken pieces of metal everywhere.

The game eventually began, almost after a 40-minute delay. Following a scoreless 90- minutes of play, it went to extra time. Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez dispatched the all-important goal as La Albiceleste won their second consecutive Copa America.

The Miami Dolphins renovated the Hard Rock Stadium just a few years ago

The game might be over and the fans have vacated the stadium, but the job only increased for the Dolphins’ front office. Only nine years ago, they spent over $350 million to revamp the venue to make it more suitable for modern-day sporting events.

'Violent' Soccer fans destroy an entrance at Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium during Copa America final
Hard Rock Stadium (Image via IMAGO)

A private firm named AECOM Hunt was given the task of renovating the stadium, which took three years to complete. According to their website, they made several additions, keeping in mind all the safety guidelines.

Renovations to the six-level, 800,000 SF stadium included the addition of a state-of-the-art open-air canopy, which provides shade and protection from the elements for 92 percent of the fans while also allowing for ample sunlight for the natural grass field; 65,326 new seats.
AECOM’s website reported

Besides professional football and soccer, Hardrock Stadium hosts tennis, baseball, college football (the home ground of the Miami Hurricanes), and flag football. However, Sunday, July 14th’s damage will cost them more money, and with the football season set to begin two months from now, they need to move quickly.

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