LONG QUEUES FOR FANS TOO
The same scenario played out for many fans, according to online reports. Despite warnings advising ticket-holders to show up four hours early, there were numerous reported waits of two hours or more in fan queues, with some also reporting malfunctioning ticket scanners.
However, when players from Spain and Argentina first took the field roughly 45 minutes before kickoff, a healthy portion of the lower stadium bowl appeared to be full, including the overwhelming majority of both teams’ allocated supporters’ sections.
This is not the first major cup final on US soil to experience logistical delays for fans.
In 2024, kickoff of the Copa America final in Miami Gardens, Florida, was delayed more than 75 minutes due to overwhelmed personnel at fan entrances.
On that occasion, significant numbers of unticketed fans rushed turnstiles and forced entry into the venue, before law enforcement gradually worked to clear those without paid admission from the seating bowl as the match progressed.