Miami fans miss part of World Cup match after transportation confusion
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World Cup fans wait outside Hard Rock Stadium during Monday's match. Photos: Courtesy of Cata Balzano
As Miami's first World Cup match kicked off Monday, not everyone was in their seats: Hundreds of ticket holders were stuck in a parking lot about a mile away, waiting in line for buses to take them to the stadium.
Why it matters: The frustrated fans, who did not have parking passes for the Uruguay-Saudi Arabia match, appear to have missed the memo that they couldn't simply walk into the stadium and needed to take shuttles — even if an Uber dropped them off nearby.
- Anyone attending one of the seven World Cup matches in Miami Gardens should plan to arrive early to avoid traffic and security delays.
How it works: Fans getting dropped off by an Uber or family member cannot access the stadium on foot and must take shuttles from three designated drop-off locations.
- Even those staying within walking distance of the stadium or who parked in a neighborhood lot must take a shuttle.
- Ticket holders can also take the Miami Game Day Express Shuttle from designated hubs outside of Miami Gardens, which will drop them off at the stadium.
What happened: Some fans Monday missed the entire first half of the match and were seen watching on their phones or running to their seats after the shuttle service took longer than they had anticipated.
- Cata Balzano, a local journalist who attended the match as a fan, told Axios she was dropped off at Calder Casino by her Uber around 5:45pm — 15 minutes before the 6pm kickoff.
- She says she couldn't arrive any earlier due to work and didn't realize she couldn't just walk into the stadium.
- Balzano says she didn't get to her seat until around 70 minutes into the match.
- A video she posted to Instagram about her less-than-ideal experience — one of several that hit social media Monday — has about 5,000 likes.
Be smart: Balzano, who criticized organizers for not communicating more about recommended arrival times, warned fans to arrive at the stadium at least two hours before the match begins.
- "I really just wanted to alert... anybody who's coming to a match in Miami that this is how it's looking," she said.
The other side: FIFA did not respond to a request for comment. The Miami host committee, which has transportation information on its website, said it could not comment on stadium operations.