Lautaro Martinez scored an extra-time winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America title, in a Miami final delayed by over an hour. People without tickets tried to get into the Hard Rock Stadium and gates had to be shut as organisers tried to get control of the situation.
Angel Di Maria goes out of international on a high, describing it as a “dream” finale.
Argentina claimed a record 16th Copa America title with a 1-0 extra-time win over Colombia, but the final was overshadowed by crowd trouble which caused a kick-off delay of over an hour in Miami.
Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in the 112th minute after an emotional Lionel Messi was forced off in the second half because of injury.
In scenes which brought to mind the Euro 2020 final at Wembley (in July 2021), fans without tickets tried to gain access to the 65,000 sell-out Hard Rock Stadium – a venue for World Cup 2026 – leading to organisers shutting the gates and denying access to supporters who did have them.
A statement by the stadium said “thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter the stadium, putting other fans, security and law enforcement officers at extreme risk”. The game eventually started an hour and 22 minutes later than scheduled.
