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.).
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 contrast between Euro 2024 and the Copa America could not have been any wider.
Two major international tournaments going on at the same time. One was played in front of packed stadiums with perfect playing surfaces. There was cutting-edge VAR technology and organization befitting a world-class event. The other was played in half-full NFL stadiums with sod laid over turf and officiating that would make grade-school referees cringe.
There were brawls in the stands involving Uruguay players, and then, there was the chaos in the final as thousands of unticketed fans rushed the gates at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
From the onset of the 2024 Copa America, the issues were obvious. But as fans were turned away at the stadium gates — many paid thousands on tickets — blame was being cast on the U.S. for the abysmal tournament. Others said the nation was incapable of hosting the 2026 World Cup. But saying so showed a lack of understanding about this Copa America.
🗣️ Another Argentine fan criticizing the United States and CONMEBOL for the Copa América's organization:
"Crazy… Bielsa was right, it's a DISASTER. They are not a footballing country, they can't organize a World Cup." 🤯🇺🇸
The entirety of the 2024 Copa America was organized by CONMEBOL, the South American confederation. That included the venue selection, ticket prices (nosebleed seats went for $150-plus in the group stage), standards for playing surfaces, VAR technology and, yes, stadium security.
In 2016, the U.S. hosted the Copa America Centenario. It was a special edition of the tournament, and Soccer United Marketing — the marketing arm of U.S. Soccer — played a major role in the planning and organizing of the event. And according to ESPN, U.S. Soccer cleared $75 million alone by hosting the event.
In the years since, CONMEBOL’s relationship with the U.S. had deteriorated amid the DOJ indictments that implicated confederation executives. But given the struggle to find a host for the 2024 Copa America, CONMEBOL turned to the U.S. instead of canceling the tournament. This time, though, CONMEBOL would run the show and keep nearly all the money. Via ESPN:
The 2024 Copa is a joint venture between CONMEBOL and Concacaf with the two confederations splitting most of the proceeds, and U.S. Soccer set to get the aforementioned $10m, plus 5% of ticket sales. U.S. Soccer will have no role in the actual running of the tournament. There is also a sense, in theory at least, that the member associations — and not just the U.S. — should benefit from the tournament’s proceeds, which are expected to eclipse those of 2016.
That’s what brought the mess that we saw over the past month. It was a tournament with organizers that declined help from the most knowledgable parties in hopes of maximizing profit. CONMEBOL cut corners when it came to marketing the games and coordinating with local law enforcement. It didn’t require venues to have natural grass fully installed months in advance — something FIFA is requiring for the 2026 World Cup.
It’s how a stadium that has hosted Super Bowls, College Football Playoff title games, NFL games and major concerts seemed ill equipped on Sunday. CONMEBOL was simply incompetent and turned down assistance at every turn. It’s how the 2016 Copa went smoothly while 2024 became utter chaos.
When 2026 rolls around, FIFA and the U.S. organizing committee (which includes U.S. Soccer) will have a heavy hand in every aspect of the planning. Like the Olympics, the World Cup has a visible emphasis on security and crowd control. In many cases, proof of tickets are required to just get within a couple blocks of a World Cup venue. Simply put, a repeat of Sunday night’s fiasco won’t happen in 2026 because the organizers will actually care … and be prepared.
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.
Gooooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. I hope you had a fantastic weekend.
Soccer absolutely took over the sports world on Sunday with two epic finals in the Euro Cup and Copa América.
Let’s start at Hard Rock Stadium, where absolute chaos broke out when fans bum-rushed it. They were climbing through vents, destroying escalators, and more in the building. Chaotic is probably the most kind way to describe it.
Suddenly, a Colombian team that had not lost a game in two years fell. Argentina won a record 16th Copa, which also happened to be its second consecutive one. By the way, the World Cup win is sandwiched between the two of them. And did I mention that Argentina lost Lionel Messi in the middle of the game to a non-contact ankle injury? Wild stuff, man.
Couple that with what happened across the pond in the Euro final. Spain prevailed over England, 2-1, with Mikel Ozyarzabal’s stoppage time tap-in in the 93rd minute ending this one.
“Just 13 minutes after Chelsea star Cole Palmer tied the match with a 73rd-minute goal as a substitute, Spain got its late winner by way of a Mikel Oyarzabal tap-in off a brilliantly timed run. In real time, it looked like Oyarzabal could have been offside at the moment of Marc Cucurella’s pass. But VAR confirmed that the goal was good.”
That’s how Spain got it done. Ultimately, it came down to the wire. But that bit of skill, timing and luck helped it prevail.
Watching these games was so much fun yesterday, as international football usually is. But it also hit me with a pretty grim realization: I don’t think I’ll ever have a team to root for in this. Not on the men’s side, at least.
The football we watched across continents on Sunday was so good. It was just far and away better than anything the USMNT has given us in years at this point.
It’s MLB All-Star week and the Home Run Derby is tonight, but I wanted to take a bit of time to show Paul Skenes some more love. His path to becoming an All-Star starter has been incredible.
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
What a tough way for Lionel Messi to leave the Copa America.
If this is the last we see of Lionel Messi on a soccer field, it will be quite the unfair ending.
On Sunday, during the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, Messi was subbed out in the 65th minute due to an injury. Messi was down earlier in the game after a collision with his leg, but left after seemingly injuring it once more in the second half.
