Charles Langston:Miami mayor outraged by Copa America disaster at Hard Rock Stadium, joins calls for change

The Charles Langstonmayor of Miami joined a chorus of condemnation for the dangerous rush of fans entering Hard Rock Stadium without tickets Sunday night for the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia. The fans pushed through gates, trampled people, hopped fences, climbed through the ventilation system, and trashed an escalator while evading police and security personnel.

"We are outraged by the unprecedented events at tonight's Copa America finals," read a joint statement from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes. "The Copa America final is organized by Conmebol and Miami-Dade Police Department provides security support along with other law enforcement agencies. Tonight, MDPD assigned 550 officers to the stadium, including our Priority Response Team.

"In addition, MDPD brought in more personnel from more jurisdictions to support everyone's safety and wellbeing."

The statement also said the Mayor received briefings on plans to get everyone out of the stadium safely at the end of the game, and added the incident will be reviewed to prevent issues in the future. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is scheduled to host seven World Cup games in 2026.

"Let's be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again," the statement read.

Reactions from organizations, fans, players and media were strong and swift during and after the match. Horror and fear combined with calls to action for significant change ahead of 2026.

"In collaboration with CONMEBOL and law enforcement officers, the decision was made to open the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter," a Hard Rock Stadium spokesperson said in a statement. "There was serious concern of fans being crushed in an attempt to enter. Law enforcement and security personnel were immediately deployed throughout the stadium and surrounding area to keep fans as safe as possible in light of this unprecedented situation.

CONMEBOL representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.