HARRY KANE LAUNDS CLUBS WORLD CUP: 'LOVING THIS TOURNAMENT '

Harry Kane has said that Bayern Munich's Club World Cup win over Boca Juniors was played amid "one of the best" atmospheres of his career and added that he is "loving this tournament so far."

The England captain opened the scoring with an 18th-minute strike as the 2-1 victory, played in front of a full Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, saw Bayern become the first team to qualify for the knockout stages.

Argentine football fans are renowned for their passionate support and the atmosphere they can create is considered one of the most intense in world sport.

Boca supporters have made their presence known in Miami with fans gathering on the beach in their thousands and singing in local Walmarts.

Asked if he was surprised by the Boca fans, Kane said: "No, not surprised. I expected them to be loud like they were but it was an incredible atmosphere to be honest. One of the best [atmospheres] of my career. Credit to them but also credit to the Bayern fans. They tried to help us as much as possible but it was hard with all of the Boca fans there. They made it a special night, they won't go home happy but it was a great game."

Bayern's win followed eye-catching victories for South American sides over more fancied European opponents. Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain were shocked by Botafogo before Chelsea came unstuck against Flamengo on Friday.

FIFA's revamped competition has faced heavy criticism but Kane said he has been enjoying the post-season tournament in the United States.

"I think it's great to experience different teams and I think you've seen in this tournament already the South American teams especially have caused big problems for some of the European teams," Kane said.

Harry Kane scored Bayern Munich's first goal in their 2-1 win over Boca Juniors in Miami. Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images

"It shows how big football is worldwide and how good some of these players are. You have to be ready for the next game, the next opportunity. I'm loving this tournament so far and hopefully we can be here for a while."

Soaring temperatures in the U.S. have been a talking point with Dortmund planning to rotate their team to overcome the hot conditions they expect on Saturday, with coach Niko Kovac fearing the impact of the midday sun in Cincinnati.

But Kane insisted playing in the heat is to be expected in summer tournaments.

"I'm not concerned [about the heat]. I think it's part of football. You have to be able to adapt," he said. "This is a great experience for me and some of the other England guys who are going to be playing next year in the World Cup. So, you know, something special about these kinds of Club World Cup games and next year will be the same.

"When you come off that pitch and you're sweating and you're dripping and you're cramping and you've given everything from the pitch, there's a special kind of feeling inside, especially when you win. That's what we have to do."

Asked for his thoughts on the tournament as a whole, Kane said: "I think, of course, it's the first ones, so people are a little bit sceptical of what it's going to be like, but if you're playing the best teams in the world every four years, it's going to be a really prestigious tournament in the future."

Bayern face Benfica in their final group stage game on Tuesday.

Information from ESPN's Lizzy Becherano and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN

MIAMI GP'S EYE-POPPING FOOD AND DRINK PRICES ON MENU INCLUDING STAGGERING COST OF A BEER 🍺

F1 fans are having to dig deep at this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, where steak sandwiches and pizza cost around £20 each.

A weekend at the Miami Grand Prix isn't cheap for fans (Image: Getty)

The staggering costs of food and drink at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend have been revealed. Formula 1 is making its first of three trips to the United States this year, with the US Grand Prix in Austin and the Las Vegas Grand Prix set to follow later in the season.

Despite the Hard Rock Stadium circuit, home to the Miami Dolphins, not being a favourite among drivers, the glitzy location draws in A-list celebrities and wealthy individuals. This trend is set to continue for the foreseeable future after F1 extended its contract with the Miami GP until 2041, marking it as the longest race agreement in the sport. Race-goers are facing steep prices for refreshments from the numerous vendors around the 3.3-mile circuit. For instance, a steak sandwich will cost you a hefty $30 (£22), while the 'budget option' turkey sandwich comes in at $18 (£13.50). Want a side of fries? That'll be an extra $6 (£4.50).

Pizza enthusiasts can expect to pay $29 (£22) for an Arroz Verde with chicken, while a basic cheese pizza is priced at $22 (£16.50). Chicken aficionados will need to fork out $29 for a three-piece 'Make it Fancy' dish topped with caviar.

Customers will need to dig deep into their pockets for a Chicken Royale with cheese, priced at $24 (£18), while an Ultimate Game Day hot dog is slightly more affordable at $14 (£10.50).

If you're looking to quench your thirst with a Heineken, be ready to fork out $13 (just under £10) for a 16oz serving, while a domestic beer will set you back slightly less at $12 (£9). For those needing to beat the Florida heat, a Frozen Margarita or Strawberry Daiquiri comes with a steep price tag of $20 (£15).

On circuit, Kimi Antonelli took a surprise pole for Saturday's sprint race. The young Italian, only six rounds into his debut season after replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, edged out championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.045 seconds.

Lando Norris, Piastri's teammate at McLaren, secured third place, trailing Antonelli by 0.100 sec, with new father Max Verstappen taking fourth spot. George Russell, in the other Mercedes, rounded out the top five. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Hamilton followed, landing sixth and seventh on the grid.

Antonelli said: "It was a very intense qualifying, and I have felt really good since this morning's practice session. The last lap was mighty.

"I pulled it all together and I am delighted to get my first pole. It will be a different feeling to start on the front row and I cannot wait to see how we do in the sprint race, and in qualifying for the Grand Prix, too."

Antonelli, who was born five years after double world champion Fernando Alonso, who qualified 10th here, became the youngest F1 driver to take a pole position – albeit it only for a sprint, rather than Sunday’s main event.

Norris, who admits he needs to kick his stuttering championship challenge into gear, will again start behind Piastri for the sprint race, where points are awarded for the top eight finishers. Meanwhile, Verstappen was back in his Red Bull cockpit for the first time as a father after he announced the birth of his first child, Lily, with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet.

NEW JERSEYS METLIFE STADIUM AWARDED 2025 CLUB WORLD CUP

FIFA announced the 12 venues that will host the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday, with MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hosting the final July 13. The tournament will begin June 15.

That venue will be joined by Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee), Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle) and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).

"Football is the most popular sport on the planet, and in 2025 a new era for club football will kick off when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who made the announcement at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York. "The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will feature 12 fantastic stadiums where a new chapter in football's global history will be written by great players from the 32 best clubs in the world."

The draw is set to take pace in December, and only two qualifiers have yet to be named, one from South American and one from the U.S. Further information regarding the draw, which will see the 32 clubs divided into eight groups of four, will be released in due course.

The Club World Cup is being played primarily on the East Coast to avoid any clash with 2025 Gold Cup matches being centered on the West Coast from June 14 to July 6. The Seattle Sounders' qualification to the Club World Cup complicated the logistics, prompting FIFA to include Lumen Field as a host venue, sources told ESPN.

FIFA has faced backlash from other entities in soccer for the organization of this tournament, including FIFPRO and the Professional Footballers' Association in England, as many raise concerns over schedule congestion and an increase in games. The Premier League, in particular, questioned the timing of the tournament during the summer window, a time frame normally used for international windows, sources told ESPN.

Despite concerns, Infantino greenlit the competition for 2025 and implemented several changes. The upcoming edition of the competition will now see 32 teams compete, after FIFA announced an expansion from its seven-club format in 2023

Infantino continued. "This new FIFA competition is the only true example in worldwide club football of real solidarity and inclusivity, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America and Oceania to play the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup which will impact enormously the growth of club football and talent globally.

"This is about opportunity and hope for those who need it most, and also about prestige and true football for those who make our sport shine. My thanks go to all."

- Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent

INJURED AND LOCKED OUT FANS FILE FIRST LAWSUITS OVER COPA AMÉRICA STAMPEDE AND MELEE

AP Photo

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The first lawsuits have been filed in connection with last weekend's melees that broke out when fans without tickets forced their way into the Copa America soccer tournament final at Hard Rock Stadium, with one person citing serious injuries and some ticket holders saying they were denied entry.I 

Miami-Dade County and federal court records show that as of Friday morning, at least four lawsuits had been filed against the stadium and CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing organization, over the chaos that broke out at the admission gates before Sunday's game between Argentina and Colombia.

Attorney Judd Rosen, who represents an injured woman, said stadium and CONMEBOL officials should have hired more police officers and security guards, but they put profits above safety.

“This was a cash grab,” Rosen said. “All the money they should have spent on an appropriate safety plan and adequate safety team, they put in their pockets.”

Stadium officials declined comment Friday beyond saying they will refund unused tickets bought directly from organizers. They previously said they hired double the security for Sunday's final compared to Miami Dolphins games and had exceeded CONMEBOL's recommendations. The stadium will be hosting several games during the 2026 World Cup.

CONMEBOL, which is based in Paraguay, also did not specifically comment on the lawsuits. In an earlier statement, the tournament organizers put blame for the melees on stadium officials, saying they had not implemented its recommendations.

Rosen's client, Isabel Quintero, was one of several ticket holders injured when they were knocked down or into walls and pillars. Police arrested 27 people — including the president of Colombia's soccer federation and his son for a post-game altercation with a security guard — and ejected 55.

Rosen said his client, who works in finance, had flown her father to Miami from Colombia to see the game as a belated Father's Day present, spending $1,500 apiece for the two tickets.

He said Quintero, who is in her 30s, was in line when security closed the admission gates to prevent unticketed fans from entering. As the crowd built up and game time approached, people were being dangerously pushed up against the fences. Security guards opened the gates “just a little bit to let one person in at a time," Rosen said.

That is when some in the crowd pushed the gates completely open, causing a stampede, Rosen said. Quintero got slammed into a pillar, causing soft tissue damage to her knee and shoulder and a chest injury that is making it difficult to breathe, he said. Her father was knocked down, but he wasn't hurt.

“He never once watched the Colombian national team in person because he thought it was too dangerous in Colombia,” Rosen said. ‘So he flew over here as a Father’s Day present to watch his national team play and this is the result, something they never thought would happen in the States."

He said he expects to file several more lawsuits, having spoken to one person who had teeth knocked out and another who suffered a broken arm.

Attorney Irwin Ast filed lawsuits in state and federal court for fans who had tickets but weren't admitted because the hundreds of unticketed fans who pushed their way inside filled the stadium past capacity.

He said these fans had come from all over the United States and the Americas, spending thousands for admission, air fare and hotel rooms. They also experienced fear and emotional distress when they were caught up in the stampede and melee, which could have been prevented if the stadium and CONMEBOL had a better security plan, he said.

“People bring their kids — this is a once-in-a-lifetime deal to a lot of people,” Ast said. “This was a terrifying situation.”

- TERRY SPENCER

COPA AMÉRICA FINAL START DELAYED AFTER FANS RUSH GATES

Police put a man in handcuffs after fans rushed the gates at Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the Copa final. Getty Images

 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The start time for the final of the 2024 Copa América between Argentina and Colombia was delayed for over 75 minutes on Sunday following a security breach in which fans broke through one of the main entry gates.

The game, which was originally scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET, kicked off at 9:22 p.m., and after 120 minutes of regular and extra time Argentina pulled out a 1-0 victory to win the Copa América -- their third consecutive major tournament title and a record 16th trophy in the South American tournament.

The delays before kickoff began when, earlier in the day, video on social media showed fans breaking through the southwest gate at Hard Rock Stadium, with some being tackled or otherwise apprehended by police and security personnel. A security guard manning an interior entrance to the stadium confirmed to ESPN that the southwest gate at the venue had been locked down because of a breach.

Both teams were taken off the field during their respective warmups as the chaos brewed outside.

The stadium briefly went on lockdown, before Hard Rock Stadium issued the following statement: "In anticipation of tonight's Copa America Final, thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter the stadium, putting other fans, security and law enforcement officers at extreme risk. Security has shut the gates in order to control the entry process at a much slower rate and ensure everyone is kept safe.

"As a result, tonight's match start time has been delayed until further notice to accommodate for ticketed fans to be able to safely enter the stadium."

Organizers ultimately reopened gates to allow fans to enter the stadium as people at the front of lines were beginning to get crushed by those in behind them. A Hard Rock Stadium spokesperson told reporters: "In collaboration with CONMEBOL and law enforcement officers, the decision was made to open the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter. There was serious concern of fans being crushed in an attempt to enter."

Earlier in the day an officer for the Miami-Dade Police Department told ESPN that all gates were locked down after the initial rush of fans, while another officer said it kept changing, describing the situation as "very fluid."

Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister's mother Silvina said she needed her son's assistance to enter the stadium and described the situation outside as "inhumane." She said the two were in constant communication as Mac Allister waited in a Hard Rock Stadium tunnel to assist his family inside.

"Alexis had to leave the locker room to help us get in because he was worried. I thought [the game] couldn't continue," she said in a post on social media. "I thought the game wouldn't be played because if the players thought they would resolve this, impossible that it would be played. It was inhumane. We are okay.

"We were in communication with Alexis the whole time, but he said he would stay outside until we would come in. he waited for us until we came in. We hugged him once inside, left him to be calm and told him to win."

Reports said that an estimated 7,000 people without tickets gained entry to the stadium, and prior to kickoff, fans were crowding the aisles and walkways. Security personnel were seen clearing those areas once the game had begun and checking to see if fans without seats had tickets.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes released a statement during the game expressing outrage at what they had seen and saying the county assigned more than 550 police officers to the stadium detail, plus other personnel from neighboring departments.

"Let's be clear: This situation should have never taken place and cannot happen again," read the statement. "We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight's events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games."

The Miami-Dade Police issued the following statement after the initial lockdown of the stadium occurred: "We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the COPA America final game. These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium.

"We are asking everyone to be patient, and abide by the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel."

Video and images taken by ESPN showed fans crowding around the southwest gate waiting to be let in. Fans have been congregating at Hard Rock Stadium since well before the planned kickoff at 8 p.m. ET, with one parking lot attendant saying he had been called to work early given that fans started to arrive as early as 6 a.m.

A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind black gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans had already made it to their seats before then.

A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 was expected for the championship match of the South American tournament, with Argentina looking to defend its title.

It was unclear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rush had tickets to the match. CONMEBOL, South America's governing body, released a statement a day before warning that fans must have tickets to enter the venue.

The Copa América has been plagued by organizational and planning issues almost from the moment the tournament started, with teams complaining about field conditions, field sizes, the state of training fields, as well as crowd control issues.

At the conclusion of Wednesday's semifinal when Colombia beat Uruguay, Uruguayan players Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo went into the stands at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, when they thought family members were in danger from opposition fans.

ESPN writer Lizzy Becherano contributed to this story, while information from The Associated Press was also used.

- Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent

ARGENTINA EDGE COLOMBIA TO WIN RECORD 16TH COPA AMÉRICA TITLE

Lautaro Martínez runs to celebrate with Lionel Messi after scoring Argentina's winning goal.

 Defending champions Argentina overcame the loss of Lionel Messi to win a record 16th Copa América title by beating Colombia 1-0, thanks to a late extra-time goal from substitute Lautaro Martínez at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Inter Milan striker Martínez, the tournament's leading goal scorer, latched onto a precise through ball from Giovani Lo Celso before lifting his effort over advancing Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas in the 112th minute.

Messi appeared to suffer a noncontact injury while running and falling in the 64th minute and covered his face with his hands when he sat on the bench.

Martínez later ran to the bench to hug his captain after the goal that propelled Argentina to surpass Uruguay for the most Copa América titles.

In a match that started over 75 minutes late because of crowd trouble at Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina won their third straight major title following the 2021 Copa América and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, who won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships around the 2010 World Cup.

Argentina also stopped Colombia's 28-game unbeaten streak dating to a February 2022 loss to the Albiceleste, when Martínez also scored the only goal.

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

COMENBOL REVEALS 14 HOST U.S. CITIES FOR.2024

 

Reuters 

Next year's Copa America will be held across 14 U.S. cities, culminating with the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Monday.

The first semi-final will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the other at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, while quarter-final action will be in Arlington, Houston, Las Vegas and Glendale.