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Thousands Of Soccer Fans Enter Stadium Without Tickets In Stampede, Putting Infants In Danger
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Thousands Of Soccer Fans Enter Stadium Without Tickets In Stampede, Putting Infants In Danger

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A dog and a baby, along with hundreds of people, were caught in the middle of a violent stampede that occurred outside the Hard Rock Stadium, Florida, on July 14th, 2024. The incident, sparked by fans waiting to enter the finals of the Copa América football tournament between Argentina and Colombia, saw a containment barrier break, which then caused an avalanche of people to overflow and trample each other.

Highlights
  • A stampede at the Hard Rock Stadium led to chaos, with a broken barrier causing people to trample each other.
  • Children, including a baby and a small dog, were caught in the middle of the violent stampede outside the Copa América final.
  • Video footage showed crying children and desperate parents searching for their lost kids amidst the mayhem.

Among the visibly vulnerable were children, including a baby, and a small dog, who got lost in the chaos.

A dog and baby were caught in the middle of a violent Copa América stampede

Image credits: Briggs/Getty

A shocking video from the venue showed adults, children, and a dog almost getting stomped on as ticketless fans rushed out of their lines to attend the Copa América football championship finals.

The clip showed a massive crowd barely being contained behind bars as they waited to enter the stadium. Soon enough, screeches of women and children could be heard as the sounds of the mass became deafening.

Image credits: Briggs/Getty

Security was seen rushing to get some infants out of the massive group of people as it quickly devolved into a stampede.

Officials were seen fighting with some rowdy fans, and others appeared to be checking in on the children to see if they were injured. As the screaming got even louder, the containment bars collapsed, leading to instant chaos.

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Image credits: CristoAtado

Many fell on the floor, women and children included. A pet dog was seen lost in the middle of the riot, and men started fighting, punching, and shoving each other while women cried and security officials struggled to contain the situation.

A girl and a small dog appeared to get lost in the video as the mother and the owner desperately looked for them

Image credits: r/sports

The camera then panned to crying children and a desperate woman wearing an Argentina shirt, desperately calling out for a girl who apparently went missing in the mayhem. She didn’t seem to be the only one, as another woman — this time wearing a shirt of the Colombian team — was also seen screaming and looking around aimlessly.

At the back, a security guard was seen violently slamming a rioter to the floor. Moments later, the chaos started subsiding, and, luckily for the Argentinian fan, police approached her with the girl she had been looking for.

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Image credits: r/sports

The dog was also rescued, seemingly unharmed, by a security guard, who delivered the pet to their owner. Reunited with his pet, the man took the small dog to safety inside of a backpack.

Netizens reacted in disbelief at the violence and chaos provoked by the sports event

Image credits: r/sports

“Who brings a dog?!? Honestly,” said one user on Reddit, receiving close to 5,000 likes. 

Another one added to the shock and responded, “How about a newborn?” sharing a tweet in which a mother is seen carrying a baby of no more than 5 months of age. The translated caption read:

“When you’ve been through the Darién river, the Bravo river and you’re about to accomplish another feat alongside mom.”

“No ear protection with all those screaming people around? What shitty parents,” responded one user. “Why not just get a babysitter?” asked another.

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Security measures at the 2024 Copa América have been under scrutiny, with previous incidents of fans breaking barriers prompting calls for increased vigilance and improved protocols

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Image credits: r/sports

Image credits: r/sports

Image credits: r/sports

Just a few days ago, on July 13th, 2024, Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa heavily criticized both the South America Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and the United States after another incident involving Colombian fans caused Uruguay’s players Darwin Nunez and Ronald Araujo to get into a fight.

The altercation was sparked by Colombian fans forcibly entering a section of the steps reserved for the Uruguayan public. Araujo and Nunez suddenly intervened in defense of their compatriots, which Bielsa defended. 

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“If you see that they are attacking their girlfriends, their mothers, a baby, their wives — what would you do?”

“United States, they are not ready for the World Cup,” said one commenter, while others bemoaned the security measures at the sporting event

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Abel Musa Miño

Abel Musa Miño

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Abel is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Santiago, Chile, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a diploma in International Relations. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with his motorbike, playing with his dog, or reading a good novel.

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Abel Musa Miño

Abel Musa Miño

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Abel is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Santiago, Chile, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a diploma in International Relations. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with his motorbike, playing with his dog, or reading a good novel.

Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

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I am employed as a Visual Editor in the news team. I make sure you have the best pictures near the most interesting text. In general all day I am looking at all you favourite celebrities facies and I am geting payed for it!

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Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Ugnė Lazauskaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

I am employed as a Visual Editor in the news team. I make sure you have the best pictures near the most interesting text. In general all day I am looking at all you favourite celebrities facies and I am geting payed for it!

What do you think ?
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Daniela Lavanza
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The rule is simple: DON'T bring animals or infants at sport events. No exception. If you have no one to look after them, don't come. Even if the organization was clearly awful, this doesn't mean spectators themselves shouldn't be responsible.

Libstak
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people need service dogs, so yes there is an exception. However, given the volatility of soccer crowds one would expect most people dependent on service dogs would not risk their poor dogs equilibrium to that extreme and stay away.

Load More Replies...
I_imagine_even_worse_w***s
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm confused, we're people trying to get in without tickets or could they be purchased there? Either way seems like very bad organization. At sporting events where I am you can't even get with 500m of the gate without a ticket. Crazy stuff.

Michael Wlodarczyk
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'll never understand why people get so violent and riled up over the most boring sport in the world.

Load More Comments
Daniela Lavanza
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The rule is simple: DON'T bring animals or infants at sport events. No exception. If you have no one to look after them, don't come. Even if the organization was clearly awful, this doesn't mean spectators themselves shouldn't be responsible.

Libstak
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people need service dogs, so yes there is an exception. However, given the volatility of soccer crowds one would expect most people dependent on service dogs would not risk their poor dogs equilibrium to that extreme and stay away.

Load More Replies...
I_imagine_even_worse_w***s
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm confused, we're people trying to get in without tickets or could they be purchased there? Either way seems like very bad organization. At sporting events where I am you can't even get with 500m of the gate without a ticket. Crazy stuff.

Michael Wlodarczyk
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'll never understand why people get so violent and riled up over the most boring sport in the world.

Load More Comments
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