Colombia and Portugal fans partied through the 0-0 draw
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Colombia fans play music before the game. Photo: Martin Vassolo/Axios
The Colombia and Portugal match ended in a 0-0 draw on Saturday in Miami, sending both teams to the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Why it matters: It was reportedly the most in-demand group-stage match of the World Cup, per The Athletic, a product of the massive local Colombian community and the stardom of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Saturday was also the first time the Colombian national team played at Hard Rock since the 2024 Copa America final, when a mob of fans without tickets stormed the entrances. That incident led to tighter security at the stadium.
The intrigue: Some fans gathered outside the stadium more than seven hours before the game started. (Some drank beer at a gas station.)
What they're saying: Felipe Jaramillo, a Colombian living in Miami, showed up around 12:30pm with his friend to ensure he would get into the game hassle-free.
- Jaramillo was at the 2024 Copa America final and was turned away due to overcrowding despite having a ticket.
- He said he and his friend would hang out near the stadium and wait until the gates opened to go to the fan zone inside.
- "To avoid problems, I came to find parking as early as possible. ... I don't want that to happen to me again."
Fan split: Outside before the game, yellow jerseys far outnumbered red ones, with large groups of Colombia fans dancing and cheering.
- Inside, Portugal's red jersey was much more noticeable, with large groups of red and green throughout the crowd.
VIP sightings: Miami music legends Gloria and Emilio Estefan, homegrown comedian Marcello Hernandez, ex-Heat star Jimmy Butler, FBI director Kash Patel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston.
- Butler and Winston both wore Colombia jerseys. (Butler attended as a fan, and Winston was dancing with fans pre-game as a FOX Sports celebrity correspondent.)
Bonus: We ran into Butler at the media security checkpoint and had to snag a pic.
- We reminded him how we interviewed him at the Big Face opening, and he totally remembered us (or at least that's what we told ourselves).
