The Miami Dolphins say their stadium is a mess. They alluded to the idea that the Copa America soccer fiasco likely played a role in that.
Per Charean Williams of ProFootball Talk: "Hard Rock Stadium suffered 'significant damage' during a security breach before the Copa America final in Miami on Sunday night. The Dolphins still are assessing the extent of vandalism to the stadium, Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports."
Argentina needed extra time to defeat Columbia, 1-0, in the title match. Several arrests were made beforehand as stadium security seemed to lose control of the situation. Among those arrested — the 71-year-old president of the Columbian soccer federation.
Hard Rock Stadium officials said in a statement that unruly fans caused the damage and were "fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property."
The Dolphins are scheduled to begin training camp at Hard Rock on Aug. 3. It's unclear if the damage will be repaired by then.
Added Williams: "Fans without tickets stormed the entry games before Colombia played Argentina, causing an 82-minute delay to the start of the match. Other fans were seen on video and photos crawling through a ventilation system to access the seating areas. Hard Rock Stadium is one of the host sites of the 2026 World Cup, raising concerns about just how ready the U.S. is to host one of the world's biggest sporting events."
The Dolphins are scheduled to host a preseason game vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 9. They open the season at home on Sept. 8 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
