A settlement was reached Monday in the class action lawsuit that was filed by fans in the wake of the chaotic 2024 Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Because of crowd trouble prior to kickoff, some fans with tickets were not able to enter the venue, while others left early out of concern for their safety. These fans are expected to form the bulk of those filing claims.
CONMEBOL, Concacaf, Best Security, and South Florida Stadium LLC, which owns and operates Hard Rock Stadium, were listed as defendants in the lawsuit. According to terms of the settlement, those defendants will collectively pay upwards of $14 million into a fund that can be accessed by fans who were impacted by crowd trouble at the final, though the final payout is dependent on the number of people who submit claims.
Speaking on behalf of the plaintiffs and class counsel, attorney Jeff Newsome of the firm Varnell & Warwick PA, said, "This case was about standing up for the fans. And today, the Named Plaintiffs and the entire Class Counsel team are proud to deliver real relief to the class members of the Copa American Class Action lawsuit." Newsome added, "We look forward to presenting the settlement to the Court."
A Concacaf spokesperson declined to comment. Hard Rock Stadium didn't provide a comment to ESPN. CONMEBOL didn't respond to a request for comment. An attempt to reach Best Security for comment wasn't successful.
The final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed by 82 minutes when fans without tickets broke through security barriers in order to get into the venue. Stadium personnel responded by locking down the venue in a bid to regain control. But when dangerous conditions developed, with some fans in danger of getting crushed against the gates outside the stadium, the venue was reopened, allowing some fans to enter whether they had tickets or not. When the stadium reached capacity, the stadium gates were closed again, preventing some fans with tickets from entering.
Miami-Dade Police stated that there were 27 arrests and 55 ejections, while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told ESPN that they responded to 120 incidents at the stadium, 116 of which were medical-related.
According to the terms of the settlement, portions of which have been viewed by ESPN, plaintiffs can be placed into one of two categories. The first is for fans who were "denied entry" into the stadium due to the crowd trouble. These fans will be able to receive a maximum refund of $2,000 per person. While some fans paid more than $2,000 for their tickets on the secondary market, the settlement is designed to cover the majority of fans for the cost of their tickets. If the fan in question paid less than $2,000 for their ticket, they can also submit a claim for reimbursement for up to $300 in travel-related expenses, so long as the $2,000 maximum isn't exceeded.
The other category is for fans who were "denied full access, and enjoyment of Hard Rock Stadium facilities or to specific seats purchased.'" This includes the purchasing of concessions or merchandise, which were shut down due to the overcrowded conditions. That amount will be capped at $100 per person.
Fans impacted by the chaos at the final will need to file claims, and among the items they must submit with the claim are a time-stamped photo or proof of identification, as well as proof of purchasing tickets, and an affirmation that they were either denied entry or denied full access to the stadium. They must also affirm that they haven't received a refund for any portion of the out-of-pocket funds claimed.
Fans looking to take part in the settlement will be able to find instructions at FinalMatchSettlement.com.
ESPN writer Lizzy Becherano contributed to this report.