Confusion at the entrance to the Copa America final prevented some ticket holders from entering Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
Video footage shows fans rushing through the entrance gates before kickoff, with many without tickets being seen entering the stadium.
“So when the gates opened, everybody rushed in. And in that rush, nobody scanned their tickets,” Dr. Manuel Fonseca said.
Fonseca spent $3,690 on two tickets to the Copa America final and said he and his wife did not feel safe when they entered the gates.
“So I went inside, but then I saw a lot of people starting to pour in, and my wife was pregnant, and I said, ‘No way, let’s not take any chances, let’s go outside,’ because I was concerned about what we would do if the crowds started pouring in there,” he said.
After escaping the wave of people entering, they were unable to get back inside, he said.
“They say you need to go to the north gate. They basically run you around in circles all night,” he said.
Now he’s asking for his money back, but he’s not the only one asking.
A quick scroll through the X reveals posts from other disgruntled fans demanding refunds, with one fan writing, “I spent thousands of dollars traveling to Miami to watch the game with my family…we weren’t allowed into the stadium and thousands of people who didn’t have tickets got in. We should expect a refund.”
Another wrote: “I was denied entry, when will I get my ticket and parking refund?”
NBC6 Responds reached out to CONMEBOL, the organizers of the event, as well as ticket sellers Ticketmaster and StubHub.
Ticketmaster policy says only event organizers can decide whether refunds will be granted. A statement from Hard Rock Stadium on Monday morning said: “We understand that some ticket holders will be disappointed they were unable to enter the stadium after the borders were closed, and we are working with CONMEBOL to address their individual concerns.”
Ticketmaster said that if an event organizer approves a refund, a refund request button will appear in ticket holders’ online accounts and the money will be refunded to the card used to purchase the ticket.
We are still waiting to hear back from StubHub, CONMEBOL and Hard Rock Stadium as to whether refunds will be issued for this event.
