Ticketless fans were climbing through the air vents at the Hard Rock Stadium (X)
Ticketless fans at the Copa America final were caught climbing through an air vent in order to get inside the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Kick off for the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday was delayed by an hour and 22 minutes following huge crowd trouble at the stadium.
Chaotic scenes at the entrance gates saw hundreds of supporters rush past police and security staff in order to gain access to the concourse area of the stadium.
Once inside, people were seen climbing over fences and into the air ventilation system in order to evade further ticket checks.
But the unruly behaviour outside the stadium led to many supporters who had tickets being penned into a confined area by police and security staff.
One photographer also captured a heart-breaking image of two young boys being caught up in a stampede alongside adults at the entrance gates.
Children were caught up in a stampede at the entrance gates to the Hard Rock Stadium (Getty)
Cecilia Cabarelli, an Argentina fan at the stadium, said: ‘They are treating us like animals, basically there’s no organisation whatsoever, there is nothing. I mean, they didn’t prepare for 60,000 people.
‘There is no preparation, people are fainting and passing out.’
‘I’m still shaking. I feel like I’m a cow.’
Another Argentina fan named Juan said: ‘This is a disaster. We waited for more than four hours to get in. They only opened two gates.
‘There are people who fainted, elderly people and children crying.’
Miami Dade Police said in a statement: ‘These incidents have been a result of 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… unruly behaviour will get you ejected and/or arrested. We have a zero tolerance behaviour against unruly conduct from everyone attending.’
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister left Argentina’s dressing room before the match in order to ensure that his own family, including his mother and girlfriend, were safe.
TyC Sports showed Ailen Cova, Mac Allister’s girlfriend, using an inhaler following the crowd disorder.
‘It was inhumane,’ Mac Allister’s mother, Silvina Riela, told TyC Sports.
‘He was worried and called us all the time to see how we were, and he told us that he was going to stay at the entrance until we could get in.
‘We hugged each other when we met and we left him so he could go play and win this game.
‘I thought that the game wasn’t going to take place, because it was impossible if the players had to deal with this.’
Other fans were left furious with the tournament organisers with America set to host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada in Mexico.
‘They can’t organise a World Cup, it’s impossible,’ said an Argentina fan named Claudio from Mendoza.
‘People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, look at him, look at him, left without water. No water, nothing.’
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