The scandal surrounding Canadian soccer only seems to be expanding
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue has said there was an attempt at drone spying at the 2024 Copa América, but insisted that men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch was only aware of it after the fact.
The federation has become embroiled in an expanding scandal over its use of drones to illegally spy on opponents.
On Thursday, women’s national team head coach Bev Priestman was sent home from the Olympics after two of her staffers were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand’s training on multiple occasions.
That was followed by a bombshell report from TSN claiming that Canada’s women’s and men’s national teams have routinely been spying on opponents for years.
In a call with media on Friday, Blue — who has only been in his position since February — admitted that the issue of spying appeared to be widespread among Canada Soccer.
“The more I learn about this specific matter, the more concerned I get about a potential long-term, deeply embedded systemic culture of this type of thing occurring, which is obviously completely unacceptable,” Blue said.
Blue said that the issue took place as recently as the 2024 Copa América, a tournament at which Canada had an encouraging fourth-place finish under new head coach Marsch.
“I’m aware of an instance of attempted drone usage during Copa América,” Blue said. “My current understanding is that the fact pattern of that instance is significantly different than what occurred here [at the Olympics], especially as it relates to the potential impact on competitive integrity.”
Blue added that Marsch only learned about the spying attempts after the fact.
“He explained to me that he denounced it immediately and forcefully, and has communicated that to his staff, both the existing staff and staff that were from previous coaching staffs that are still with us,” Blue said.
“It’s a bit of an embarrassment for the United States”
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), the co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, has said the chaos at the Copa América final “needs to be a wake-up call” for the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Sunday’s match between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium was marred by ugly scenes before the game that could have ended in tragedy.
Fans stormed through entry gates outside the stadium in Miami. In response, authorities closed all of the stadium’s entrances, causing a dangerous crush of fans stranded in the heat and humidity.
To avoid a possible tragedy, organizers allowed scores of fans to enter the stadium without their tickets being checked or going through metal detectors.
Speaking to Punchbowl News, LaHood said the chaotic scene had to be a learning experience for the U.S. ahead of serving as co-host of the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
“It needs to be a wake up call,” LaHood said. “The World Cup will be here in 2026. It’ll be the largest sporting event in the history of the world. We have to make sure that what happened in Miami on Sunday night never happens again.”
Though LaHood pointed out that CONMEBOL was responsible for organizing the Copa América, he admitted that the scenes over the weekend were still a black eye for the host country.
“It’s a bit of an embarrassment for the United States or for the stadium in Miami to have that kind of thing happen,” LaHood said. “That is not a reflection, I think, on the way that we run large sporting events in this country.”
What is the Congressional Soccer Caucus?
LaHood is one of five co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, whose mission “is to encourage legislation, activities and events that promote soccer and issues affecting the greater soccer community.”
The U.S. Soccer Foundation provides information and support for the Caucus, which has 41 members from the U.S. House of Representatives.
Alongside LaHood, the other four co-chairs are Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wa.) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Ca.).
El Tri is on the lookout for its fourth head coach in less than two years
The Mexico men’s national team is on the lookout for its fourth head coach in less than two years.
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced Tuesday that Jaime Lozano would not continue after El Tri crashed out of the Copa América at the group stage.
Mexico struggled at the tournament in the United States, beating Jamaica in its opener before losing to Venezuela and drawing Ecuador to fall short of the knockout stage.
The FMF said it had offered Lozano the chance to stay on as an assistant coach for two years before reassuming his position as head coach.
Lozano declined that offer.
“Jaime Lozano was offered, along with his coaching staff, a contract until 2030, in which during 2024-2026 they will accompany a more experienced head coach towards our World Cup, and later it would be Jaime himself who would retake the reins of head coach in the 2026-2030 process,” the FMF said in a statement.
“After analyzing the proposal, Jaime Lozano informed us that he doesn’t wish to continue. We respect his decision.”
After Gerardo “Tata” Martino departed following the 2022 World Cup, Mexico hired Diego Cocca as his replacement in February 2023. The Argentine would only last a few months, as he was relieved of his duties following a 3-0 defeat to the U.S. in the 2023 Nations League semifinal.
Lozano then came aboard as an interim, winning the 2023 Gold Cup before being named the head coach on a permanent basis.
But there were always questions over whether the FMF would keep the 45-year-old in charge through a home World Cup in 2026, or go with a more experienced option.
Sure enough, ESPN has reported that Mexico may be about to turn to Javier Aguirre for a third stint in charge of the national team.
Aguirre, 65, led Mexico at both the 2002 and 2010 World Cup, and is now a free agent after departing La Liga side Mallorca at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The Argentina star could be set for an extended spell on the sideline
Inter Miami has announced that Lionel Messi has suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle and will be sidelined indefinitely.
Messi was injured during the Copa América final against Colombia on Sunday, with the Argentina star severely turning his ankle during a play in the first half.
The 37-year-old managed to play on, but collapsed to the turf while running in the second half and had to be substituted in tears.
Messi watched on as Argentina would win the final 1-0, with his ankle swelling severely while he sat on the bench.
On Tuesday, Inter Miami released a statement indicating that Messi is set for a spell on the sidelines.
“After a medical evaluation, it has been determined that Leo Messi has suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle,” the MLS club said. “The captain’s availability will be determined by periodic assessments and the progress of his recovery.”
Messi has been sensational for Inter Miami during the 2024 MLS campaign, tallying 12 goals and 13 assists in just 12 games.
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino had already ruled Messi out of the club’s next two games prior to the diagnosis, with the injury almost certain to keep the Argentina star out of next week’s MLS All-Star Game.
Messi also appears at risk of missing some, if not all of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup title defense. The tournament featuring every team from MLS and Liga MX kicks off on July 26.
The South American governing body attempted to wash its hands of the whole situation
CONMEBOL may be the organizer of the 2024 Copa América but if you ask the South American governing body, it is not to blame for the chaos at the final on Sunday.
Instead, CONMEBOL decided to cast the blame at Hard Rock Stadium in a statement released on Monday night.
The final between Argentina and Colombia was marred by ugly scenes ahead of the match, as fans stormed through entry gates outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. In response, authorities closed all of the stadium’s entrances, causing a dangerous crush of fans stranded in the heat and humidity.
To avoid a possible tragedy, organizers allowed scores of fans to enter the stadium without their tickets being checked or going through metal detectors.
One day after the final, CONMEBOL said that it recommended a set of procedures to Hard Rock Stadium authorities, who proceeded to ignore those recommendations.
“As it is already known, during the final held in Miami, fans without tickets went to the stadium’s vicinity, which delayed the normal access of people who did have tickets, slowing down the entry and leading to the closure of doors,” a statement read.
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations.
“In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.
“We regret that the acts of violence caused by malicious individuals have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great sports celebration.”
CONMEBOL was in charge
CONMEBOL attempting to wash its hands of the situation is hard to square with the fact that the South American confederation had full control over the entire tournament.
The confederation’s own regulations for the Copa América state that it is in charge of the tournament’s management, and has “full authority” to resolve any issues that arise.
“CONMEBOL shall be responsible for the management of the Competition, with the power to control and organize the matches, and shall instruct its commissions, officials and officers to ensure that the Competition runs smoothly,” says Article 6 of Chapter 1.
“CONMEBOL has full authority to resolve all matters relating to the Competition and its decisions are final, binding and unappealable.”
Hard Rock Stadium responds
After CONMEBOL’s statement, Hard Rock Stadium responded with a statement of its own on Tuesday.
The venue said that it “implemented, and in many cases exceeded, CONMEBOL’s security recommendations throughout the tournament and the final.”
The pre-game chaos in Miami continued after the match
Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Football Federation, was arrested in a chaotic scene after Sunday’s Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia.
Jesurún, 71, who is also a CONMEBOL vice president, is facing three felony counts of battery on a specified official or employee. His son, 43-year-old Ramón Jamil Jesurún, is facing the same charges.
WPLG, Miami’s ABC affiliate, obtained the Miami-Dade Police Department arrest report, which said both men fought security guards at Hard Rock Stadium at around 12:20 a.m. Monday, about 20 minutes after Argentina had defeated Colombia 1-0 in the final.
The arrest report said both father and son “became irate” at the security guards, with the former pushing one guard and the latter grabbing one by the neck and punching him.
The pair was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at around 4:15 a.m. Monday.
Fox Sports Mexico obtained a brief video of the incident, saying that it was sparked by security not allowing the Colombians to use the elevator.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9bk3OuOEDV/
The arrests added to an overall feeling of chaos surrounding the final in Miami, though they didn’t appear related to the ugly pre-game scenes outside of Hard Rock Stadium.
Fans breached the stadium gates before kickoff, as security forces were overwhelmed. The response from authorities was to close down all entrances, creating a dangerous crush of fans in hot and humid conditions.
Kickoff was eventually delayed by 82 minutes, with authorities allowing scores of fans in without tickets to alleviate the congestion.
After those fans were allowed in, there were severalreports of fans with tickets who reached their seats, only to find them occupied and security unable to help. Other fans were not allowed into the stadium despite having valid tickets.
Miami-Dade Police said that there were 27 arrests and 55 ejections on the night.
The scenes at Sunday’s Copa America final were an embarrassment for CONMEBOL — the South American confederation that organized the tournament — but the Miami Dolphins might be left paying the price.
As people lined up to enter Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the final between Argentina and Colombia, fans without tickets stormed the gates and hopped fences to enter the stadium grounds. Outnumbered police officers tried to regain control of the situation, and the match start was delayed about 90 minutes. But the situation was so out of hand that once the gates reopened, tickets weren’t scanned at all.
That led to absolute mayhem inside the stadium. And according to the Dolphins, unruly fans caused “significant damage” to parts of Hard Rock Stadium’s facilities.
Hard Rock Stadium officials said, via the Sun-Sentinel:
“Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium,” the statement said, later adding that the unruly fans were “fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property.”
Videos hit social media showing fans crawling through vents to gain access to the stadium in addition to damaging other barriers. Escalators inside the club levels were also completely torn apart.
Here is the video when the escalator broke or the quick aftermath.
Hard Rock Stadium is a venue for the 2026 World Cup, but CONMEBOL — which refused assistance from U.S. Soccer in planning the 2024 Copa — will not be involved with tournament organizing. The Dolphins also have about three weeks to repair the damage (or restrict access to impacted areas) ahead of open training camp at the stadium.
World Cup 2026 organizers now have a blueprint of exactly what not to do
When it comes to the 2024 Copa América, tournament organizer CONMEBOL failed to clear the very lowest bar possible.
Before it can promise anything to players, fans, media and officials, an entity putting on a tournament needs to ensure all stakeholders that they will be safe. At this special edition of the Copa América in the United States, that very obviously was not the case.
It started from the first match of the tournament between Argentina and Canada, played on a recently installed grass pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Very quickly, it became apparent that the pitch was not fit for purpose. At best, it prevented the kind of free-flowing soccer fans and players want to experience. At worst, it was downright dangerous.
“They knew seven months ago that we’d play here and they changed the field two days ago,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said at a post-game press conference. “It’s not an excuse, but this isn’t a good field. Sincerely, the field is not apt for these kinds of players.”
Unfortunately, the kind of pitch in Atlanta — a hastily installed grass field laid over artificial turf — was widespread across the entire tournament.
It didn’t take long for players to start to go down. The Copa was bookended by two very similar injuries to star players.
In Mexico’s opener, captain Edson Álvarez fell to the turf without any contact while sprinting back on defense. He missed the rest of the tournament.
In the final, Argentina star Lionel Messi was injured in almost identical fashion. His night ended in the second half on a non-contact injury, which may have been exacerbated by an ankle injury he suffered in the first half while planting his foot in the turf.
Those two injuries weren’t the only ones, of course, Peru manager Jorge Fossati also blamed AT&T Stadium’s field as a potential reason for the Achilles injury that ended Luis Advíncula’s tournament.
“It came out of nowhere,” Fossati said. “I realize that this is a grass field today but it’s not normal grass. It’s not grass that’s born, and grows [naturally]. It’s a grass they bring in from elsewhere.
“That can be a bit of a harder surface and it can affect you in that exact place [the Achilles]. I’m not a doctor but I’ve been around football for a few years.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JUNE 27: Detail of the field of play prior to the CONMEBOL Copa America USA 2024 Group C match between Panama and United States at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
On the field, players were at risk. The situation off the field was even worse for fans.
CONMEBOL was already under fire long before the tournament’s closing stages, but the scenes at one of the semifinals and the final will be the indelible images of this shambolic event.
It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where players enter the stands and literally fight with fans at a major tournament, and even tougher to envision one where those players emerge as sympathetic figures. But that is exactly how the aftermath of the semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia played out.
Uruguayan players stormed into the stands at Bank of America Stadium, with Darwin Núñez in the middle of a brawl with Colombia fans.
As Uruguay defender José María Giménez explained after the game, Núñez was among several players who felt the need to protect their families in the absence of any kind of security.
“This is a disaster,” Giménez said. “Our families are in danger, we had to go into the stands to get our loved ones out with small babies, newborns … a disaster, there was not a single police officer, they came after half an hour, a disaster and we were standing up for our loved ones.”
Then, of course, there was the coup de grâce on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Fans breached the stadium gates, causing mass chaos ahead of the final. The response from authorities was to close down all entrances, creating a dangerous crush of fans in hot and humid conditions.
The response to that potentially dangerous crush was to let all fans in — ticketless or not. That meant fans who didn’t go through stadium metal detectors were mixed in among those who did.
That is, to say the least, a situation that could have turned into a true disaster.
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
“It was inhumane,” Silvina, the mother of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, told TyC Sports. Mac Allister, while preparing for a final, had to leave the locker room to ensure his family’s safety.
Officials did their best to blame ticketless fans, who surely have to shoulder some of the responsibility. But those officials will also have to reckon with their own decision to not enforce a wider and multi-layered perimeter around the stadium.
Hard Rock Stadium has hosted Super Bowls, major concerts, college football playoff games, NFL games and plenty of other huge events. The chaotic scenes on Sunday didn’t appear at any of those events, though ticketless fans obviously did.
Nobody — not players, fans, referees or media — could have their safety guaranteed at this Copa América. That, much more than Argentina’s historic triumph, will be the enduring takeaway.
For the United States, Mexico, Canada and FIFA, it will also be an urgent imperative to get the World Cup right in two years. If nothing else, they all now have a blueprint of exactly what not to do.
Amid the chaotic and disturbing scenes at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night, Fox analyst Alexi Lalas attempted to find a silver lining.
Fans breached the gates ahead of the Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia, overwhelming security and causing officials to close off access to the stadium.
With thousands of fans stuck outside the stadium in hot and humid conditions, the match was delayed and eventually kicked off 82 minutes late. Argentina would win 1-0 in extra time, clinching its second straight Copa title.
The unruly scenes set off a scramble to assign blame, with Hard Rock Stadium saying that “thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter the stadium, putting other fans, security and law enforcement offers at extreme risk.”
But others pointed out that tournament organizers CONMEBOL had to shoulder much of the blame for allowing so many ticketless fans to walk right up to the stadium, rather than implement multiple checkpoints as is common at major matches worldwide.
On Fox’s broadcast of the match, Lalas said both CONMEBOL and the host nation would have to take on some of the blame, but also strangely suggested that the unruly fans who put themselves and others in danger was sort of … good? Or it at least ended any misconception that the U.S. doesn’t care about soccer.
“I understand this is not a good look for CONMEBOL. This is also because it is happening on our watch, in our country, not a good look for the U.S. less than two years out of the World Cup,” the former U.S. men’s national team defender said.
“I have no doubt that FIFA and the United States and Canada and Mexico will sort this out and make sure that this doesn’t happen going forward. But I think it also shows that, don’t let anybody tell you that America is not a soccer nation. Don’t let anybody tell you that the United States does not have an incredible history and doesn’t have fans out there.
“There are millions of soccer fans and they are going to either come from other places here and join the millions that exist or like I said, the ones that are already here.
“I think this shows that there are many home teams when it comes to the U.S. but there is a fervor and there is a passion for this game and for these tournaments that is going to be on display for the next two years, and is going to culminate in what I think is going to be the most important and biggest summer of soccer when it comes to the summer of 2026.”
If anybody ever tells you the U.S isn’t really a soccer nation, just ask them: Would a country that doesn’t care about the sport have fans crawling into a stadium through the air vents?
Checkmate.
Watch Lalas on Copa America final chaos
“Not a good look for the US less than two years out of the World Cup.” @AlexiLalas on the situation at Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the 2024 Copa América Final between Argentina and Colombia pic.twitter.com/LDOGaY6khk
Messi had to exit early in what could have been his final major-tournament match for Argentina
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi was forced out of the Copa América final against Colombia on Sunday, limping off before later breaking down in tears on the bench.
Messi was actually injured both in the first and second half, but it was his second injury that knocked him out of the match.
With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Messi received the ball in the box and saw the ball run away from him toward the end line. As the 37-year-old tried to keep the ball in play, Santiago Arias slid in with a challenge and rolled over Messi’s ankle on the follow-through.
Messi received treatment on the pitch for several minutes, but was able to return to the pitch after he limped back to midfield.
All appeared to be well until the 64th minute, when Messi was chasing after Colombia’s Luis Díaz and abruptly slipped onto the pitch without any contact.
This time, Messi’s knew his night was done immediately, signaling to the bench that he needed to be substituted.
Messi did manage to walk off under his own power and was later seen in tears on the bench, knowing he may have played his final major-tournament match for Argentina.
The injury will once again lead to scrutiny of the much-criticized playing surfaces at the Copa América, which have already led to multiple injuries. In similar fashion to Messi, Mexico captain Edson Álvarez went down with a non-contact injury while chasing down a play in his side’s tournament opener.
Even with Messi out, Argentina would still go on to win the game 1-0 thanks to an extra-time winner from substitute Lautaro Martínez.
