Miami mayor Daniella Levine Cava has admitted she was ‘outraged’ by the chaotic scenes that marred Sunday night’s Copa America final.

The game between Argentina and Colombia at the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium was delayed by more than an hour because of terrifying crowd issues that saw fans breaching security gates.

Videos posted on social media showed fans jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance of the stadium and running past police officers and stadium attendants. 

The stadium is due to be a venue for the 2026 World Cup but the scenes have led to fears the USA is not ready for the arrival of millions of fans for the biggest sporting event in the world.

Mayor Levine Cava insists they will now carry out a ‘full review’ of the incident after an embarrassing episode for both the city of Miami and the stadium.

A statement from mayor Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes read: ‘We are outraged by the unprecedented events at tonight’s Copa America finals.

‘The Copa America final is organized by CONMEBOL, and Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) provides security support along with other law enforcement agencies.

‘Tonight MDPD assigned over 550 officers to the stadium, including our Priority Response Team, and is utilizing all possible resources to continue to ensure a safe experience for all attendees. In addition, MDPD brought in more personnel from other jurisdictions to support everyone’s safety and wellbeing.

‘Our top priority must be the safety and security of all our residents and visitors, and we urge everyone in attendance at tonight’s game to abide by all directives from law enforcement and security personnel for the safety of all attendees.

‘We have also received a security briefing from stadium operations regarding the plan to support fans in safely exiting after the game tonight, and we continue to urge all attendees to pay close attention to all information and updates from law enforcement and stadium staff.

‘Let’s be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again. 

‘We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.’

A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. 

Officers were able to push the crowd behind the gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans with tickets had already made it to their seats before then.

Security initially appeared to open gates slightly to allow only a handful a fans in at a time, while other angry attendees pushed against the railings.

After reclosing the gates, security began letting fans in slowly around 8:10pm, with the new kickoff time set for 9:15pm but the commotion did not stop. 

Fans again broke through the railings, so many filing in that security scanners rocked back and forth from the force.

Fans wearing gear from both teams started running in multiple directions, some carrying children on their shoulders. Tickets were not being scanned and few police officers or stadium officials could be seen in the sea of people.

Some fans started climbing over fences to get in. Three police officers were seen placing handcuffs on a fan with a Colombia flag on a ramp that leads to the stadium’s seats.

The commotion ahead of the final was the culmination of a series of issues throughout the 32-match tournament, from complaints about the playing surfaces to criticisms of officials and concerns about player safety.

The tournament and its organizers were heavily criticized after a melee following Colombia’s 1-0 win over Uruguay in their semifinal.

Just after referee Cesar Ramos blew the final whistle, Darwin Nunez and Uruguay teammates climbed a staircase into a raucous crowd, and video showed Nunez hitting a fan in Colombian team colors.

Uruguay captain Jose Gimenez said players went in the crowd to protect their families, including their wives and children who were seated in the stands behind the Uruguay bench. 

Coach Marcelo Bielsa later criticized tournament organizers for not doing enough to protect their families, as it took more than 10 minutes for police to arrive and restore order.

CONMEBOL later released a statement condemning the violence but added no further clarification on additional security measures for the final.

Scaloni, Martinez and Colombia midfielder Juan Quintero called for fans to be peaceful at Sunday’s match.