Chaos breaks out at Copa America final after fans storm gates without tickets
USA TODAY Sports reporter Safid Dean describes fans who jumped fences and were detained while trying to sneak into the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia will kick off in the second half, after a long delay in the start of the match and a first-half injury to star player Lionel Messi’s right ankle.
Result: Argentina 0, Colombia 0.
Messi suffered an injury to his right ankle during the first half and will play in the second half. Messi tried to chase the ball and kick it before it went out of play. But when Messi planted his right foot, it bent into an uncomfortable position as he struck the ball with his left foot.
Messi’s face showed severe pain, and he rolled onto his back several times on to the pitch to be assessed by the coaches. He eventually got up to leave the pitch, but not without a clear limp. He eventually returned to the pitch, and remained on the pitch for the entire first half.
The Argentina-Colombia match didn’t start until 9:22 p.m. ET, well after the original 8 p.m. kickoff. The game was delayed after ticketless fans breached security gates around 6 p.m., keeping fans out of the stadium before the game.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions led by Messi, are hoping to make history by winning their second consecutive Copa America title.
Colombia, who went 28 matches unbeaten to reach the final, will be hoping to win their second Copa America final and avenge their last defeat, which came against Argentina in February 2022.
Follow along here as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates from Sunday night’s game in Miami:
Messi, who had injured his right ankle, returned to the game at the start of the second half.
Messi looked in fine form, curling in a superb corner, but Nicolas Tagliafico’s header went over just before half-time.
Lionel Messi appears to have suffered an injury to his right ankle during the first half of the Copa America final.
Messi tried to chase the ball and hit it before it went out of play, and he planted his right foot, which was bent in an uncomfortable position before he hit the ball. Messi’s face showed severe pain and he rolled onto his back several times towards the pitch to be assessed by the coaches.
Eventually, Messi got up to leave the pitch, but not without limping visibly. He eventually returned to the pitch and stayed in the game.
The injury occurred in the 36th minute.D Minute 13 of the first half, during a match that ended in a goalless draw.
Colombia’s Jefferson Lerma found some space and let one through on goal. The ball was just outside the left post, and into the hands of Argentine goalkeeper Dipo Martinez.
Lionel Messi had a chance and fired a powerful shot but Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez saved it 20 minutes from time.
This shot by Colombia’s Jhon Cordoba almost gave them an early lead.
Before his last match with Argentina, Angel Di Maria’s daughters gave him the ball before the match:
Messi looks ready for Copa America final.. Here’s the latest news
Okay, the stadium was packed, and the music filled the delay. Now, the players were introduced to the crowd.
During the warm-up before the match, Lionel Messi took this free kick.
The situation with fans trying to enter Hard Rock Stadium led to the game being delayed for a half hour.
The match is now scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. ET.
At around 8:11 p.m., police intervened and the gates opened, allowing fans — with or without scanned tickets — into the stadium for the Copa America final.
Fans without tickets for Sunday’s Copa America final climbed over fences and security barriers more than an hour before Argentina’s match against Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium.
USA TODAY Sports saw at least seven people being treated by Miami-Dade firefighters near the ramps leading to the stadium. The people appeared to be in distress and had red faces, and were given water bottles as they sat on the ground and along a low wall.
Messi scores to send Argentina into Copa America final
Lionel Messi scored Argentina’s second goal of the match to help his team win 2-0 over Canada and qualify for the Copa America final.
Unbranded – Sports
President Joe Biden will address the nation shortly before the Copa America final, forcing FS1 to start the game at 8 p.m.
The game will continue on FOX after Biden’s speech, FOX Sports announced.
Spain won Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win over England earlier on Sunday and could play the winner of the 2024 Copa America in the summer of 2025. The date or venue has yet to be determined.
The last final between the Copa America and European champions was held in 2022 when Argentina beat Italy.
The Argentina vs Colombia match will be broadcast on FOX in English, and Univision in Spanish.
How to watch: Watch the full list of Copa America matches with a fuboTV subscription
Live streaming can be found on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app in English, and on TUDN in Spanish.
Yes, Messi will be in the game, and is expected to start tonight’s final, his ninth with Argentina.
What awaits Argentina in the Copa America final?
Messi and Argentina could put the finishing touches on one of the greatest dynasties football has ever seen.
Winning another Copa America title tonight would be Argentina’s fourth international title in three years.
Argentina won the 2021 Copa America, beat Euro 2021 champions Italy in the 2022 final two summers ago, and won the World Cup in Qatar 2022.
What awaits Colombia in the Copa America final?
Colombia was unable to compete in the World Cup in Qatar, so this Copa America was an important experience for the national team and the country.
Colombia hopes to win its second Copa America title (2001), and will play in the Copa America final for the third time (1975, 2001).
Argentina 2, Colombia 1: James Rodriguez may be able to create a set piece to score, but Argentina will rely on goals from Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria to win this title as they have done in other tournaments, thanks to the elder statesman. Sorry, my Colombian friends. But this Argentine dynasty will not end tonight. Safieddine, Lionel Messi’s correspondent.
Argentina’s odds of winning are +110 during the 90-minute match, while the odds of a draw are +190 and Colombia’s odds of winning are +320. According to BETMGMTo get the trophy, Argentina’s odds of winning are -190, while Colombia’s odds of winning are +138.
How long is Colombia’s unbeaten streak?
Colombia are unbeaten in their last 28 matches. Their last defeat was a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in an Olympic qualifier on February 1, 2022.
Argentina’s record in the last three years
Argentina have lost just three of their last 63 matches. Their last three defeats were: to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semi-final, to Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup, and to Uruguay in the Olympic qualifiers last November.
Will this be Messi’s last match with Argentina?
Messi, the 37-year-old star of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, could play his last match in a major tournament for Argentina in the Copa America final. Although Messi has left the door open to playing in the 2026 World Cup, pending his health and desire to continue playing, this match could be his last in a major tournament if he changes his mind.
Tonight’s match will be the last in an Argentina shirt for Angel Di Maria, the leading scorer in major matches who helped Messi lift the burden of international trophies off his back during the club’s recent run of trophies.
Messi, 37, has left the door open to playing in the 2026 World Cup. Here’s what he said earlier this year about when he might retire.
It’s weird to imagine how Messi took these photos with 17-year-old Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal when Yamal was just a little boy. Here’s the story behind the widely shared photos of Messi and Yamal.
Inter Miami star and Uruguay’s top scorer Luis Suarez scored a last-gasp equalizer to send his team into a penalty shootout. Suarez also converted the winning penalty to help Uruguay beat Canada 2-2 (4-3 on penalties) in the Copa America third-place match.
Canada finished fourth at the 2024 Copa America, but have had a strong showing ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
“Coffee ninja. Web fan. Hipster-friendly beer enthusiast. Professional creator.”