After the Copa chaos

Massive security concerns for the 2026 USA World Cup

Pure chaos at the entrances to the "Copa America" final stadium ...(Bild: AFP)

World champions Argentina are once again Copa America winners. The team led by superstar Lionel Messi beat Colombia 1:0 (0:0) in the final in Miami after extra time. The excitement off the pitch was caused by some frightening spectator problems, which raised security concerns with a view to the 2026 World Cup.

The match at one of the venues for the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico was delayed by almost an hour and a half, as some fans had broken through the barriers around the stadium before kick-off and entered the grounds without permission.

Videos posted on social media showed mainly Colombian fans jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance and running past security forces.

"Unruly behavior from fans!"
In the meantime, the officers managed to push the crowds behind the gates and close off the entrance so that nobody could get in.

People were then temporarily allowed back in before frustrated spectators broke through the barriers again after another stop. It was initially unclear whether there really were more than 65,000 fans in the sold-out arena.

The police spoke of chaotic conditions and also cited "unruly fan behavior" as the reason why the situation escalated. The city of Miami announced an investigation into the events.