Chaos Erupts as Thousands of Copa America Soccer Fans Stampede in Miami

Security personnel detain Colombia's supporters that tried to get into the stadium without tickets ahead of the Conmebol 2024 Copa America tournament final football match between Argentina and Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, Florida on July 14, 2024.
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Some fans had tickets while others did not but many did everything possible to get inside the Hard Rock stadium in Miami.

Chaos erupted in Miami after thousands of soccer fans snuck into a stadium for a highly anticipated game in the Copa America Tournament between Argentina and Columbia, leading to a stampede.

Video shows fans being crushed against each other, risking getting trampled as children and pets were in the crowd.

Some fans had tickets while others did not, but many did everything possible to get inside the Hard Rock stadium in Miami.

People scuffled to get up escalators that ended up littered with lost shoes and debris.

Some scaled a concrete wall and climbed through air ducts.

The stadium holds 65,000 people but the crowd exceeded that number in 90-degree weather.

Crowd control expert Paul Wertheimer says security made a smart move that avoided potential disaster.

"They did make a decision to open the gates and let people with tickets in or without tickets in," Wertheimer says.

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