Lionel Messi in tears after terrifying scenes

There was chaos outside the stadium when fans were kept locked outside the Miami venue for hours before a crowd rush swarmed through the gates in terrifying scenes.

In a dramatic day at the South American football showpiece, which was played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, United States, football god Lionel Messi was also brought to tears when he went down injured and was forced to leave the field.

Before the tense final went into extra time with the scores locked at 0-0, Messi broke down on the sidelines after hobbling from the pitch.

His emotions eventually turned to joy when Lautaro Martinez slotted home a winner for his side in the 112th minute.

Martinez found himself one-on-one with Colombian keeper Camilo Vargasand put his shot right over the shot-stopper and into the back of the net.

Earlier it was beginning to look desperate for Argentina when Messi collapsed.

The superstar went down with a non-contact injury in the 64th minute before taking off his right boot on his way off the field.

Medical staff had rushed onto the field to assess the injury which left Argentine fans with their hearts in their mouths.

When it became clear that he was not going to be able to play on, he was replaced by Nico Gonzalez.

Argentine fans were seen on the live TV broadcast looking devastated inside the stadium, but it was the sight of the fan crush outside the stadium that truly shocked the world.

Fans rushed the entrance gates, clashing with security and leading to the gates being closed, two hours before kick off.

Fans were gradually, slowly, allowed into the venue, later, with some needing medical attention mainly for heat exhaustion.

Shortly before the scheduled start of the game, gates were opened and fans were allowed to flood in - with no ticket checks.

An AFP reporter on the scene witnessed several fans receiving treatment from paramedics inside the venue and others staggering and needing help from friends before lying down on the floor.

Miami Dade Police said in a statement there had been “several incidents” prior to the game at the venue.

“These incidents have been a result of unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium,” the statement said.

“We are asking everyone to be patient and abide by the rules set by our officers ... unruly behaviour will get you ejected and/or arrested. We have a zero tolerance behavior against unruly conduct from everyone attending.”

Fans however took aim at the organisation of the event, with one Argentina supporter saying fans had been treated like “animals.”

“They are treating us like animals, basically there’s no organisation whatsoever, there is nothing. I mean, they didn’t prepare for 60,000 people,” Cabarelli said.

“There is no preparation, people are fainting and passing out.”

Asked if the situation had felt dangerous, Cabarelli said: “100 per cent. I’m still shaking. I feel like I’m a cow.”

Other fans interviewed by AFP described chaotic scenes at the entrance gates, with some fans forcing their way into the venue past security staff as frustration boiled over.

“It was crazy, people were just trying to get in like crazy,” said David Fernandez, a Colombia fan from Gainesville, Florida.

“They just didn’t want to wait. They were just rushing over and running over. They’ve opened the gates three different times — it was good for two or three minutes and then everybody was just rushing.”

“People are just riled up and excited, so they’re pushing and it’s like mayhem,” she told AFP. “They should have opened the gates sooner to let people in slowly.” A statement by Copa America organisers on X, formerly Twitter, appeared to suggest the chaos had been caused by unticketed fans attempting to gain entry.

“Please be advised that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium,” the statement said.

“Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter once access is reopened”“.

The chaos comes amid heightened scrutiny of stadium security at the Copa America following a brawl which marred the end of Wednesday’s semi-final between Colombia and Uruguay.

Uruguayan players climbed into the stands and clashed with Colombian fans, claiming family members had been threatened in the aftermath of Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat.

— with AFP