One Fan Died at Celebrations in Buenos Aires After Argentina Wins

A 29-year-old man died after falling from the letter "A" of the "BA" sign located at the base of the Obelisk in Buenos Aires.

Thousands of Argentina fans celebrated their national team’s Copa América final victory against Colombia by taking to the streets of Buenos Aires in the early hours of Monday. However, the joyous occasion turned tragic for some. Before the match began, a 29-year-old man climbed the “A” in the giant BA sign at the base of the Obelisk, reportedly to wave an Argentine flag. 

He started jumping, lost his balance, and fell to the ground, dying instantly. The police awaited support from the fire services to bring him down before he fell.

The game, originally set for 9 p.m., was delayed because of a ticketing issue at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, leading to overcrowding and long lines. The match finally kicked off at 10:22 p.m. and ended at 1:10 a.m. Monday with Argentina's victory after Lautaro Martínez scored during the second half of extra time.

Thousands of fans gathered at the Obelisk and surrounding areas to celebrate. However, the celebration turned rowdy around 4 a.m. Some fans opened a door to the Obelisk and started throwing objects at the police, according to a BA City Security Ministry report.

Fans set fire to two traffic police motorbikes and several dumpsters and shattered shop windows. They also broke into a cellphone shop and stole items from the traditional coffee shop La Giralda. Thirteen officers were injured, one with a deep leg cut and another with an injured wrist.

Police arrested six fans after 4 a.m. for refusing to clear the road to let traffic through. Despite the water cannon used by the police to clear the area, some of the most dedicated revelers continued hanging around the Obelisk until after 6 a.m.