In the hours following the shocking scenes at the Copa América final, doubts have emerged about the organization of the 2026 World Cup scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The final between Argentina and Colombia, held on Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, turned into chaos. The kickoff was delayed by 82 minutes as supporters from both teams crowded the stadium’s gates, designed for 65,000 spectators.
Some supporters, affected by the heat, had to be evacuated. Organizers reported that many fans arrived without tickets, attempting to force entry. These movements, they claimed, caused congestion at the entry gates.
However, the security measures in place were clearly inadequate. “I know this stadium like the back of my hand; this should never have happened,” said a former stadium employee who was also stuck at the gates for two hours.
“If you’re worried about firearms or knives, you need to establish a perimeter around the stadium to check tickets beforehand, not at the last moment right in front of the gate. Here, you had children, women, people who paid $20,000 for their tickets, climbing over fences,” he lamented. Many observers indeed criticized the access control measures during this Copa América, organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), and the lack of a wider security perimeter around the stadiums.
The 2026 World Cup, with seven matches scheduled at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, will be organized by FIFA, which typically implements secure perimeters around venues during competitions.
However, the failure of this final, won by Argentina, serves as a warning, according to former U.S. international Alexi Lalas, now a Fox Sports consultant. He expressed, “This is not a good look for CONMEBOL, but especially for our country just two years away from the World Cup. But I have no doubt that we, Canada, and Mexico, will address these issues.”
A few days earlier, after the final whistle of the semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia, a brawl erupted in the stands between Uruguayan players and opposing supporters, adding to the concerns observed during this tournament.
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