The Copa America final held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday night was dramatic in more ways than one. Prior to the highly-anticipated soccer matchup between Argentina and Colombia, the stadium was placed under lockdown after fans that did not have tickets broke into the venue. Now, comes the clean-up.
Per the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins are assessing "significant damage" to their home following Argentina's 1-0 victory vs. Colombia. Hard Rock Stadium also released an official statement early Monday morning, saying it would work with law enforcement to, "identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight."
— Hard Rock Stadium (@HardRockStadium) July 15, 2024
Social media was flooded with images and videos of the mayhem that ensued Sunday night. A statement released by the Miami-Dade Police Department said 27 people were arrested, while 55 people were ejected.
The 72 Club entrance at Hard Rock Stadium tonight..
— Geo Milian (@GeoMilian) July 15, 2024
Barbaric and unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/jDl3y3vgAr
Thankfully, the Dolphins won't have to use this venue until next month, but Hard Rock Stadium is one of the sites that will host the 2026 World Cup, along with several other NFL stadiums such as Gillette Stadium and Levi's Stadium. After what occurred on Sunday night, security protocols could be adjusted.
