FIFA said on Wednesday it was opening an investigation into racist chants by Argentina players after they won the Copa America. “FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into,” a spokesperson for world football’s governing body said. They added: “FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials.” The chants were heard during a live video posted on social media by Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from the team bus in the wake of the Copa victory over Colombia in Miami on Sunday.

Some players, including 23-year-old Fernandez, sing a chant dating back to the 2022 World Cup final in which Argentina beat France.

The song targets France’s star striker Kylian Mbappe among others and includes racist and homophobic insults.

Chelsea had earlier announced they had launched an internal disciplinary procedure against Fernandez over the incident.

Fernandez has apologised and the club said in a statement it had launched an “internal disciplinary procedure”.

“Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable,” it added.

“We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate.”

Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica for a Premier League record fee of 105 million pounds ($136.8 million) in 2023, said in his apology: “The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words.

“I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.”

Javier Mascherano, the coach of Argentina’s Olympic football team, said he felt the video had been “taken out of context” as he sprang to the defence of Fernandez.

“Argentines, if there’s one thing we’re not, it’s racists, far from that,” said Mascherano.

“I know Enzo, he’s a great guy. He doesn’t have any problems like that,” insisted the former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder.

“Often, as part of a celebration, you can take part of a video and take it out of context.

“If there’s one thing we are as a country, it’s a totally inclusive country. People from all over the world live in Argentina and we treat them as they should be treated.”

The French Football Federation (FFF) complained to FIFA about the chants on Monday.

FFF president Philippe Diallo “condemned with the greatest firmness the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against players of the France team”.

France beat Argentina in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup.

File image of Kaishu Sano© X (Twitter)

Hard Rock Stadium defended the security measures in place for Sunday’s Copa America final after CONMEBOL accused the venue of ignoring advice that might have prevented the chaotic incidents that held up the game. The showpiece final between Colombia and Argentina at the Miami venue was delayed by 82 minutes as overwhelmed security struggled to get fans inside after ticketless fans rushed the entry points. CONMEBOL, the governing body for football in South America, suggested that local organizers had failed to follow suggested procedures such as setting up an outer perimeter to screen ticketless fans.

“We regret that the acts of violence produced by malicious people have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great celebration of sport,” CONMEBOL said in their statement, adding that CONMEBOL “was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations.”

Stadium officials said Tuesday that security measures were jointly decided by the venue, CONMEBOL and local law enforcement.

“Hard Rock Stadium has safely hosted hundreds of world-class events in its 37-year history, including Super Bowls, major international soccer matches, Formula 1, NFL and college football, headline concert tours and other global events,” management of the venue said in a statement.

“In each of those, security was a joint effort amongst the organizer, local law enforcement agencies and the venue.

“As we’ve previously said, Hard Rock Stadium worked collaboratively with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement agencies on security both leading up to and during the Copa America tournament.

“The agencies met regularly, including daily security briefings throughout the month-long tournament. Hard Rock Stadium implemented, and in many cases exceeded, CONMEBOL’s security recommendations throughout the tournament and the Final.”

The disturbing scenes before the final, won 1-0 by Argentina, immediately raised concerns for the 2026 World Cup which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Local police, overwhelmed by the situation despite the presence of 800 officers, said they detained 27 people and ejected 55 others from the venue.

It wasn’t the only concerning security incident during the tournament.

On Wednesday, Uruguay players were involved in a brawl with Colombian fans in the stands after their 1-0 semi-final defeat in Charlotte, North Carolina.

French superstar Kylian Mbappe was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday, telling 80,000 fans “my dream has come true”. The striker, who had completed his medical earlier on Tuesday morning, signed a five-year contract and was handed a No. 9 shirt by club president Florentino Perez. “Wow,” Mbappe said in Spanish to roars from a packed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.  “For years I’ve dreamed of playing for Real Madrid and today my dream has come true,” said the 25-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain player.  “I’m a happy boy. I’m going to give my life for this club,” said Mbappe. Accompanied by his parents watching from the crowd and with a former French hero of the club, Zinedine Zidane, in attendance, Mbappe was emotional as the crowd chanted his name, and at one point kissed the jersey of the reigning Spanish and European champions.

Mbappe is “an exceptional player who comes to help us continue winning, a player who today fulfils the dream of his life,” said Perez. “Welcome to your home.”

¡Bienvenido a tu nueva casa, @KMbappe!#WelcomeMbappé pic.twitter.com/rFtyvX4qdo

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 16, 2024

Although his new teammates began training on Monday, the forward, who captained France during their unsuccessful Euros campaign, will have a few more days off before kicking off his season in the Spanish capital.

The unveiling of Real’s latest Galactico allowed its fans to continue celebrating following Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph on Sunday.

The crowd was expected to be bigger than that 15 years ago when Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled.

The free tickets were snapped up rapidly with some fans reportedly trying to resell them to take advantage of the hype surrounding the arrival of arguably the world’s best striker.

At Real, Mbappe will form part of an offensive trio alongside England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazil attacker Vinicius Junior under the watch of veteran Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.

That prospect is already exciting fans of the club who won their 15th Champions League title in June.

Los Blancos begin the defence of their La Liga crown with a match against Real Mallorca on the weekend of August 17-18.

Mbappe’s debut might have to wait until the following week when Real Madrid face Real Valladolid who were recently promoted from the second division.

Number 9 Mbappe shirts went on sale last Thursday in Real’s club shops which are covered with his image.

Mbappe arrives after a personally disappointing Euros campaign, where he was overshadowed by Spain’s new teenage sensation Lamine Yamal of Madrid’s rivals Barcelona and France lost to Spanish in the semi-finals.

That followed a difficult season with PSG following his decision not to renew his contract, with the striker — who was the Paris club’s all-time top scorer — admitting he felt “liberated, relieved” by his transfer to Real.

The club is hoping to offset the costs — a salary of at least 15 million euros ($16.3 million) per season and a signing bonus of more than 100 million euros — through sponsorship deals and ticket and merchandise sales.

Mbappe is hoping the move will finally see him win a Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, two of his lifelong objectives.

File photo of Gareth Southgate© AFP

Still celebrating Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, Real Madrid fans will have even more to cheer Tuesday as French superstar Kylian Mbappe is officially presented to a packed-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium. With an expected attendance of 85,000, the stadium will be packed to the rafters for Mbappe’s first appearance before fans in what should beat the record set 15 years ago by Cristiano Ronaldo. Although the tickets are free, they were snapped up rapidly with some fans reportedly trying to resell them to take advantage of the hype surrounding the arrival of the world’s best striker.

During the morning, Mbappe will sign his new five-season contract with Real president Florentino Perez before entering the stadium at midday (1000 GMT) to greet fans after which he will hold a press conference.

Although his new teammates began training on Monday, the striker, who captained France during the Euros, will have a few more days off before kicking off his season in the Spanish capital.

Club medics will want to examine his nose which was broken during France’s 1-0 win over Austria on June 18 during the group stage, although France were later knocked out in the semi-finals by Spain.

For Mbappe and Real Madrid, it is the culmination of a long-awaited liaison. 

The 25-year-old — who says he has always been a fan of Los Blancos and of Ronaldo — will wear the number 9 shirt which went on sale last Thursday in Real’s shops which are covered with his image.

‘Excitement and humility’

Coming from Paris Saint-Germain, who he joined in 2017, Mbappe arrives after a disappointing Euros campaign for him personally where his star image was overshadowed by that of Spain’s new teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

And it comes after a difficult season with PSG following his decision not to renew his contract, with the striker — who was the Paris club’s all-time top scorer — admitting he felt “liberated, relieved” by his transfer to Real.

“It’s an immense pleasure and a dream come true. This is the club I’ve always dreamed of being at,” he said in June.

“I’m going there with a lot of excitement and a lot of humility.”

At Real, he will form part of a new offensive trio alongside England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazil attacker Vinicius Junior under the watch of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.

And the prospect is already exciting fans of the club who won their 15th Champions League title in June.

Also the current title-holders of Spain’s La Liga, Los Blancos begin their campaign with a match against Real Mallorca when the season kicks off on the weekend of August 17-18.

Even so, Mbappe’s debut might have to wait until the following week when Real Madrid face Real Valladolid who were recently promoted from the second division.

The club is hoping to offset the costs — a 15-million-euro salary per season and signing bonus of more than 100 million euros — through sponsorship deals and ticket and merchandise sales, among other things.

And Mbappe is hoping the move will finally see him win a Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, two of his lifelong objectives.

Colombian Football Federation president Ramon Jesurun was arrested in Miami during an incident at Sunday’s Copa America final, according to a police report issued on Monday. A Miami-Dade County police file indicated Jesurun was arrested on charges of “assault on officer/employee” on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium. There was chaos as spectators stormed the gates at the home of the NFL Miami Dolphins, with people pushed to the ground and people trying to sneak into the stadium through huge air conditioning ducts and the start delayed by 80 minutes.

Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America final with a goal in extra time by Lautaro Martinez.

Jesurun, 71, was not allowed to enter the field with his son and other family members after the contest for the awards ceremony, the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported.

Jesurun’s son confronted a security guard who denied them access.

Ni Ramón Jesurun, presidente de la Fedefútbol, se salvó del desastre logístico y de organización de la Copa América. En este video de @FOXSportsMX se ve al dirigente en medio de un altercado con el personal de seguridad. Quizá esta fue la razón de su ausencia en la premiación. pic.twitter.com/pDDOBRtBFy

— WillyRodríguez (@WillyRodri13) July 15, 2024

Jesurun, a vice president of regional governing body CONMEBOL, also participated in the dispute before police officers intervened, according to the newspaper.

Miami-Dade police said in a statement there were 27 arrests and 55 ejections from the stadium at the match.

“I’m very proud of our officers’ response to a volatile situation and for their hard work in keeping our community safe as well as our law-enforcement partners who provided key support,” police director Stephanie Daniels said.

“As part of the full analysis of last night’s game, we will review protocols set in place to ensure an orderly, safe and secure environment for all future events.”

South American football governing body CONMEBOL said in a statement it suggested procedures to security organizers that were not used.

“Fans without tickets went to the vicinity of the stadium, which delayed the normal access of the people who did have them, which slowed down the entry and determined the closing of doors,” CONMEBOL said in a statement.

“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the authorities of the Hard Rock Stadium, in accordance with the contractual responsibilities established for the security operation.

“In addition to the provisions determined in said contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures tested in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.

“We regret that the acts of violence produced by malicious people have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great celebration of sport.”

With Lionel Messi sustaining an ankle injury in the second half, Argentina successfully defended the Copa America title after Lautaro Martinez fired the ball into the back of the net in extra time. The goal earned Argentina a 1-0 win over Colombia who came close to scoring a goal themselves. However, it was Messi’s me who emerged triumphant completing a rare triple of Copa America – FIFA World Cup – Copa America in international football. Messi, who was in tears after sustaining an ankle injury, underwent a big change in emotions as La Albiceleste lifted the title. 

Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium saw Messi in tears after he was substituted in the second half. But Martinez ensured that the Argentinian magician ended with his second Copa America title in the twilight phase of his career. Soon, Messi’s tears of pain and suffering turned into joy.

Leo Messi the moment Argentina won!

What it means pic.twitter.com/dZmIBcYVik

— Sara (@SaraFCBi) July 15, 2024

pic.twitter.com/mMcKp6316M

— Messi World (@M10GOAT) July 15, 2024

With a 1-0 win, Argentina ended Los Cafeteros’s 28-match unbeaten streak.

The game kicked off with Argentina trying to penetrate Colombia’s box by bombarding crosses, but it was effectively dealt away.

Colombia retaliated, with winger Luis Diaz making a darting run into Argentina’s box and striking a low-driven shot, which was easily saved by Martinez.

A minute later, Colombia once again came close, with James Rodriguez weaving his magic to find Cordoba in the box. The striker pulled off an acrobatic effort which struck the outside of the post and went out of play.

The game started to open up, with Argentina and Colombia launching one attack after another in their attempts to break the stalemate.

In the 33rd minute, Colombian midfielder Jefferson Lerma almost caught off-guard by taking a shot from an ambitious distance. He got the desired connection, forcing Martinez to pull off a save from his fingertips.

Argentina had a moment of scare after Lionel Messi sustained a heavy knock following a challenge from Arias. However, the Argentinian maestro got up without any assistance, but there was a slight limp as he resumed the game.

Despite Colombia enjoying better chances, the Argentinian defensive wall held intact, resulting in a goalless first half.

Argentina came back to life early in the second half, with Alexis Mac Allister taking the ball inside the box. He couldn’t find an opening to test Camilo Vargas. The delay allowed Rios to clear the ball away.

Argentina steadily grew into the game after Angel Di Maria went for the far corner and forced Vargas to pull off a save.

In the 64th minute, Messi was brought down once again, which seemingly aggravated the injury he sustained in the first half. The emotion got the better of him as he left the pitch in tears. Nico Gonzalez came in as a substitute for the Argentinian maestro.

Argentina thought they went ahead after Gonzalez found the back of the net with a sliding finish. But the joy of the fans and players was short-lived, with the assistant referee raising the flag for off-side.

In the final minutes, Argentina almost took the title home, with Di Maria finding Gonzalez with the ball. The winger headed the ball towards Alvarez, and with Vargas committed, Alvarez only had to send the ball into the open net. However, he failed to arrive in time, and the chance went away.

The first 90 minutes ended goalless, forcing the game into extra time. A couple of changes on the attacking front saw the arrival of Lautaro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso. The game looked bound for penalties, but Martinez changed the course of the game.

Lo Celso flicked the ball to pave the way for Martinez in the open space inside the box. The Inter Milan striker found the far corner to seal a 1-0 win for Argentina.

Colombia made a late call for a penalty after a player went down in the box. With Colombian players adamant, the referee asked VAR to take a look at the decision. The penalty call was denied, bringing the game to its conclusion.

With ANI Inputs

The chaotic scenes at the Copa America final have raised serious questions for the organizers of the 2026 World Cup which will be held in North America. The start of Sunday’s final between Colombia and Argentina at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was delayed by 82 minutes as overwhelmed security struggled to process the safe entry fans into the stadium. Organisers blamed ticketless fans for rushing the entry points into the venue for their decision to keep the gates closed for almost three hours after the planned opening time.

But, while there was plenty of evidence of ticketless fans entering, it was also clear that the security system was unable to cope.

Some fans needed medical attention for heat exhaustion after being stuck in the crush around the fencing at the entrance to the 65,000 capacity venue amid alarming scenes.

Hard Rock Stadium will host seven games at the 2026 World Cup which the USA is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.

The Copa America was organised by South American confederation CONMEBOL while the World Cup will be controlled by global governing body FIFA and it’s local organisation.

“This is not a good look,” said former USA international Alexi Lalas, now a leading television pundit for Fox Sports.

“I understand this is not a good look for CONMEBOL and this is also, because it is happening on our watch, in our country, not a good look for the US less than two years out from the World Cup,” he said.

FIFA, who had no role in the running of the Copa, did not immediately comment on the incidents but sources indicated they would now intensify discussions with stadiums over their security plans.

‘An embarrassment’

A former stadium employee, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, said that the incident at Hard Rock was down to bad organisation.

“I know this facility like the back of my hand, this should never happen,” he said after spending over two hours in the crush outside the ground.

“If you’re worried about weapons, if you’re worried about guns, if you’re worried about knives, you set up a perimeter, you check them and check tickets outside, not in a gate where you funnel in 10,000 people when you have women and children, you have women and children passing out at the gate trying to get into the stadium with people paying $2,000 a ticket,” he said.

“This is an embarrassment, for CONMEBOL, for the Hard Rock Stadium, an embarrassment that should never happen,” he added.

FIFA’s World Cup stadiums tend to use such a perimeter control, as the initial check on fans, before they enter a zone closer to the venue.

“I have no doubt that FIFA and the USA and Canada and Mexico will sort this out and make sure that this doesn’t happen going forward,” said Lalas during the match broadcast.

But the Miami debacle was not the only incident to raise concerns during the Copa America.

Wednesday’s semi-final between Colombia and Uruguay in Charlotte ended in ugly scenes as Uruguayan players climbed into the stands and clashed with Colombian fans, claiming family members had been threatened in the unsegregated stands.

As in Miami, local stadium security and police appeared to be caught by surprise by the very different behaviour of soccer fans compared to the far less rowdy NFL spectators they are used to.

All the World Cup stadiums for the 2026 World Cup are NFL venues. The USA hosted the World Cup in 1994 which was viewed as a successful tournament, setting a new attendance record.

The placing of grass surfaces over or in place of American football’s artificial turf fields caused plenty of issues during Copa America, with several coaches including Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni complaining about the poor quality.

FIFA sources said they intend to have all stadiums install grass in good time, rather than the very late switches that occurred for the Copa America.

But the bigger issue appears to be in training and preparing stadium security to deal with soccer crowds and having an effective system in place.

Canada’s American coach Jesse Marsch believes that the Copa’s issues were mainly due to CONMEBOL’s inexperience in the US market and that FIFA will do a better job in 2026.

“They made the mistake of thinking that they were just going to bring all their people from South America and be able to run a tournament in a new country and they were going to be able to do it seamlessly. And they made a massive mistake in that,” he told Canadian Press.

“(FIFA’s) overall experience for running tournaments, I think, is at a much different level,” he said.

Argentina lifted their third major trophy in the span of as many years, beating Colombia in Sunday’s Copa America final in Miami. Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the match in the 112th minute to win a record 16th Copa America for Argentina. There were tears before the celebrations though with Argentina captain Lionel Messi going off injured in the 66th minute. The final was also an emotional farewell for veteran winger Angel di Maria, who had earlier announced that he would retire from international duty after the tournament in the United States.

As Argentina were about to receive the trophy, Messi made a heartwarming gesture towards Di Maria and experienced defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Messi, who started his career during the same time as Di Maria and Otamendi, asked the duo to join him before he was about to lift the trophy.

pic.twitter.com/8kthMmKdXx

— M10G (@World10G) July 15, 2024

A game of few chances, which had been marred by security and crowd issues, forcing a 82-minute delay, was decided by a quality finish from substitute Martinez — who finished the tournament’s top scorer with five goals.

For Colombia, whose only title came in the 2001 Copa America and who were unbeaten in 28 games, it was a disappointing night when little seemed to work for Nestor Lorenzo’s team.

There was chaos around entry to the stadium for fans, with organisers blaming supporters for trying to enter without tickets while fans blamed the lack of an efficient entry system to the venue.

The scenes were alarming with some fans needing medical attention for heat exhaustion but after the decision to suddenly throw open the gates, with no checks on those entering, the situation was largely resolved and the game went ahead.

Di Maria, who had left the field for the last time in an Argentina shirt to huge applause, said the team’s ‘Triple Crown’ achievement needed to be appreciated.

“It seems easy but it is very difficult. I know this because I experienced the other side for 10, 11 years as well. It’s not easy to get to the finals and win them,” he said.

(With AFP Inputs)