Officials for Miami-Dade County said a lack of intelligence gathering, insufficient security perimeters and large numbers of unticketed fans on stadium grounds led to the chaotic scene that unfolded ahead of last year's Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami-Dade police received a report the day before the final that Texas law enforcement "experienced difficulties removing crowds from the stadium areas" after a separate Copa América match, and that large crowds were forming in the streets near the Colombia team hotel in Florida, the then-chief of the Miami-Dade County Strategic Response Division wrote in an after-action report dated Dec. 13, 2024, and obtained by ESPN.

The information prompted officials to activate more police for the game. At least 900 members of law enforcement ultimately staffed or responded to the event, according to the report.

Still, the report states, "the fact that 20,000 to 30,000 patrons had a plan to arrive early, park off site, then crash the entry gates with overwhelming numbers was not gathered and shared by any intelligence source. Had this information been known, our plan would have been modified for this contingency."

The report recommends that law enforcement track social media platforms to discover such plans.

Thousands of fans rushed Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the July match, jumping over security railings and running past police officers, jeopardizing the safety of fans, players and referees. The scene led stadium and match officials to delay the game. Fifty-four people were ejected and 26 people were arrested, according to the report.

The night of the final, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she was "outraged" by what happened and promised a review.

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, is the home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins and will host seven FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.

ESPN contacted CONMEBOL -- the federation that organized the tournament -- Miami-Dade police, the mayor's office and Hard Rock Stadium for comment.

Hard Rock Stadium allowed unticketed cars and pedestrians onto the grounds ahead of the match, according to the report. While Hard Rock "allows fans open access onto the grounds for the great majority of events ... with no prior negative effects," the report recommends that the stadium consider extending its security perimeter and properly screen pedestrians and vehicles to prevent unticketed individuals from entering the parking lots during high-profile events.

"Many people without tickets crowded the entry gates and utilized their vast numbers to rush the gates and bypass all security measures," the report states. "Efforts by police and stadium security were ineffective in sorting the ticketed patrons from those without tickets. Non-ticketed fans could not effectively be removed from the gates due to the large number of people pushing against the crowded gates."

Stadium officials and police also had a difficult time communicating with the large crowds at the gate, the report states, recommending that police deploy portable speaker systems for future events.

The report states that "a lack of organization" by tournament organizers led to the "rampant use of photo tickets."

Instead, event tickets should be issued electronically to minimize the risk of fraud and duplication, according to the report.

ESPN's Lizzy Becherano contributed to this report.

LIVERPOOL, England -- In the foyer of Liverpool's AXA Training Centre last Friday, giant television screens beamed out the news that many fans on Merseyside had been waiting to hear all season. After months of speculation that he would leave the club on a free transfer when his contract expired in the summer, star forward Mohamed Salah had finally put pen to paper on a two-year extension and the announcement had given everyone at the club's Kirkby training base a visible boost in the run-in to a Premier League season that looks set to end in glory.

"Mo's signed a new contract, has he?" a relaxed-looking Virgil van Dijk quipped as he passed by, taking in the rolling coverage of his teammate's extension. It was a tongue-in-cheek comment from a player well-acquainted with the realities of being at the center of a protracted contract saga, given his own future was following a similar path.

A week ago, the 33-year-old Liverpool captain was still playing coy, but he too had already agreed a new two-year deal, which was officially confirmed by the club on Thursday. "It was always Liverpool," Van Dijk told the club's official website. "That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan, and it was always Liverpool."

Salah, who at 32 is in the form of his life and just broke the record for the most goal involvements (45) in a 38-game Premier League season, had been similarly effusive about his feelings for the club which has facilitated his rise to global superstardom over the past eight years. And, while there has been an air of inevitability for some time about the duo's continued stay on Merseyside, it is nonetheless a huge relief for those of a Liverpool persuasion to finally have the news confirmed.

Of course, the silence around the future of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold remains deafening, and a source has told ESPN that Real Madrid are "very confident" of signing him on a free transfer this summer. But, with Salah and Van Dijk's services now secured until at least the summer of 2027, and only six points needed to seal only the club's second Premier League title since 1990, Liverpool are convinced that they are poised for more success in the years to come.

How contract sagas unfolded

There have been few hotter topics on this season's footballing agenda than the futures of Liverpool's out-of-contract trio. Rarely a day has passed by without the minutiae of each saga being dissected either online or on TV, with the club repeatedly coming under fire for letting three of their most important players enter the final year of their respective deals.

Typically, Liverpool would look to secure a player to a new contract when there are around two years left on their existing deal. However, when Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold were in that position in the summer of 2023, Liverpool were in the midst of a seismic shake-up, with the departure of lauded sporting director Michael Edwards and his successor Julian Ward -- both now back working in a different capacity for owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) -- having left a vacuum of power behind the scenes.

January 2024's news that manager Jurgen Klopp would be leaving that summer further scuppered Liverpool's long-term planning, while incoming sporting director Richard Hughes' initial focus was on finding a replacement for the most successful manager in the club's recent history.

However, with Arne Slot having made a fine start to life on Merseyside, concerns started to mount about the apparent lack of headway being made in negotiations with three of the club's biggest stars. That concern only intensified in November when, after scoring two goals in Liverpool's 3-2 Premier League win over Southampton, Salah sought out journalists in the mixed zone at St. Mary's Stadium to voice his own frustrations.

"We are almost in December, and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club, [so] I'm probably more out than in," the Egypt international said.

It was only the third time in his Liverpool career Salah had spoken to the written press and, aware that his words carry enormous weight, it looked as if he was attempting to force the club's hand. Recently, though, Salah has been keen to keep his own counsel, and a source told ESPN that positive discussions over an extension were ongoing for several months, with Hughes overseeing negotiations with Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa.

While externally debate raged over whether Salah would seek to leave Anfield for the riches of the Saudi Pro League -- having been the subject of a rejected 150 million bid from Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023 -- a source told ESPN that both Liverpool and Salah have always been convinced of a mutual desire to continue what has so far been a remarkable partnership, with Salah and his young family settled and happy in the North West of England.

A source also told ESPN that, despite speculation that Salah -- who is Liverpool's highest-paid player -- had agreed to reduce his salary in order to remain at Anfield, a pay cut was never on the agenda for either party, with his new deal costing the club in the region of 17m to 20m a year.

Unlike Salah, Van Dijk has continually remained tight-lipped on the state of his own negotiations, with discussions having been ongoing between Hughes and the defender's representative -- Neil Fewings, of the ROOF agency -- for many months.

Sources have told ESPN that from the outset of those negotiations it was abundantly clear that, as in the case of Salah, the desire of both parties was to extend Van Dijk's stay at Anfield, with a determination to continue competing at the highest level fuelling both players' decisions.

How Salah and Van Dijk evolved into Liverpool legends

Salah and Van Dijk's legendary status at Liverpool is already secured, with both players having amassed an impressive array of collective and individual honors during their eight seasons on Merseyside.

Neither player, though, looked particularly destined for such greatness at the outset of their careers. Indeed, it's worth noting that Salah's first outing at Anfield came on one of the most disappointing days in Liverpool's recent history, when the Egypt international came on as substitute for Chelsea in a 2-0 win for the visitors that derailed the Reds' hopes of clinching the 2013-14 Premier League title.

However, sentiment toward Salah soon shifted following his 36.9 million move from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, with the forward racking up an incredible 44 goals in all competitions in his debut season.

"Straight away, Salah had that sense that every time he got the ball he was going to score," Ian Doyle, Chief Liverpool writer at the Liverpool Echo, told ESPN. "No matter how many times you score a goal as a forward -- whether you're Alan Shearer, Ian Rush or Thierry Henry -- it doesn't always feel like that.

"But every so often you have those periods where you think everything you hit is going to go in and, more importantly, the opposition think that as well. It's the sort of thing that only really happens once in a striker's career, but the thing about Salah is he's gone on to do, if not quite that, very close to it for eight seasons."

Van Dijk had displayed similar levels of consistency during his time at Anfield though, like Salah, the defender's rise has been far from straightforward. At 17, the defender was juggling his football training at Dutch club Willem II with a job as a dishwasher at the Oncle Jean restaurant in his home city of Breda, ultimately joining FC Groningen on a free transfer after failing to convince the decision makers at his boyhood club to offer him a contract.

"When he joined, he was a rough and unpolished diamond," Dick Lukkien -- who managed Van Dijk during his time with Groningen's U21s and is now head coach of the first-team -- told ESPN. "The transition from Breda to Groningen was big for him. He left home to live on his own for the first time and had to get used to functioning without his mother. In the beginning, Virgil had a hard time in Groningen.

"Things weren't going fast enough for him and that sometimes caused friction. The potential was obvious, but of course it was not foreseeable that he would become so good."

Indeed, even after successful spells with Celtic in the Scottish Premier league and English top-flight club Southampton, Liverpool's decision to spend a club-record 75m to sign Van Dijk in January 2018 divided opinion.

"It's hard when you look back now because we have the evidence that he's probably one of the greatest center-backs of all time, but I remember at the time there being a mixed feeling, not necessarily among Liverpool fans but definitely among opposition fans," Josh Sexton of The Anfield Wrap told ESPN. "I remember Manchester United fans laughing at the fact they managed to sign Harry Maguire [from Leicester City] for a similar price. Liverpool's hierarchy at the time genuinely viewed Van Dijk as a transformational signing, but I don't think any of us could have foreseen how transformational he would be."

More than a half-decade on and the transformational of impact of both Van Dijk and Salah is clear, with Liverpool 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League and on the cusp of yielding the club's 20th league title. Both players have been integral in that success, having started all of Liverpool's 32 league games this term.

Despite the historical reluctance of FSG to issue big-money contracts to players in the latter stages of their career, Salah's offensive excellence -- he has 27 goals and 18 assists in the top flight this season -- and Van Dijk's imperious presence on and off the pitch ultimately made it an easy decision.

Two out of three?

With two of the three contract sagas now put to bed, attention will no doubt turn to the future of Alexander-Arnold. While a source told ESPN last month that no deal has been finalized for the defender to join Real Madrid once his contract expires in the summer, a source in Spain added that discussions with the player's camp have been ongoing since January and there is a growing optimism from the European champions that an agreement is now close.

The prospect of Madrid landing their top defensive target -- just months after their January advances were rebuffed -- feels inescapable. But while losing a local hero and the team's creative fulcrum on a free transfer will be galling for Liverpool, the continued presence of Salah and Van Dijk should at least soften the blow and in 21-year-old Conor Bradley the club might already have a readymade replacement.

Still, if they do choose to spend big, Liverpool sources believe the retention of their talismanic duo represents a huge statement of intent as the club seek to build on the success of Slot's debut season in charge. Van Dijk hinted last week that it looks set to be a "big summer" at Liverpool, and all signs point to a busy transfer window at Anfield.

In re-signing both Van Dijk and Salah, though, Liverpool have perhaps already completed their two shrewdest pieces of business.

The Winnipeg Jets have locked down defenseman Neal Pionk for the long term, signing him to a six-year, $42 million contract extension Thursday.

Pionk, 29, was a pending unrestricted free agent who was projected to be a hot commodity on the open market. A coveted right-shot defender with excellent puck-moving abilities, Pionk has enjoyed a comeback season with 10 goals and 39 points in 69 games in a top-four role for the Jets. It was just the second time in Pionk's career that he has reached double-digit goals, and he was one of 12 Jets skaters to do it this season.

Winnipeg has had him lined up primarily with Dylan Samberg on the team's second pairing, where Pionk averages over 22 minutes time on ice per game.

The Jets are currently having the best season in franchise history. They earned the Presidents' Trophy with 116 points. Winnipeg did that, in part, by being the NHL's stingiest team defensively, with Pionk & Co. leading the way in front of Connor Hellebuyck as the Jets allowed the fewest goals per game in the league (2.32).

Winnipeg will open its postseason Saturday at home against St. Louis.

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Thursday on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he is not ready to make a decision on his plans for the 2025 season and allowed that retirement could still be a possibility.

Rodgers confirmed he has had talks with the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers since his release by the New York Jets last month. The Giants have since signed quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and the Vikings have said they are committed to giving J.J. McCarthy a chance to show he can be their starting quarterback.

The Steelers are the only one of those teams with a still-unsettled quarterback situation after only signing Mason Rudolph in free agency. Rodgers said he is still in contact with the Steelers but said he hasn't given them any indication he has a timeline for a decision.

Rodgers said right now, his sole focus is on his personal life. He said he is in a serious relationship and two people close to him are dealing with serious situations. He said next week's NFL draft will have no impact on his plans.

The Jets released Rodgers on March 12, two days after agreeing to a contract with former Steeler Justin Fields as they moved in a different direction at quarterback under the new regime of coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.

The Jets had earlier announced they were moving on from Rodgers after meeting with him in February. Rodgers had flown from California to meet with the Jets' new brass and said Thursday he was "shocked" he was quickly told they were moving in a new direction and confused because he felt they could have delivered that message in a phone call. He said, however, that the ending "didn't damper" his feelings about his two years with the franchise.

Rodgers' two-year tenure with the Jets produced little on-field success, however. He won only six of his 18 starts, and the Jets sputtered to a 5-12 record in 2024. Coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas, who were instrumental in luring Rodgers to the Jets in 2023, were fired during the season.

Rodgers, 41, threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2024, both third on the Jets' single-season list, but it was an uneven performance. He finished 25th in Total QBR, 30th in completion percentage and 28th in yards per attempt among qualified passers. The Jets finished 3-7 in one-score games, with Rodgers failing in a few of them to pull out wins on his final possession.

The Jets' trade with the Green Bay Packers for Rodgers in April 2023 will be remembered as one of the most disappointing moves in franchise history. His first season ended quickly, as he tore his left Achilles on the fourth snap of the first game. He started every game in 2024, but the Jets, who began the year with Super Bowl aspirations, were a nonfactor most of the season.

The four-time MVP endeared himself to the Jets' organization in 2023, when he took a voluntary $35 million pay cut to help provide cap relief. His teammates voted him the most inspirational player in 2023, when he tried to return from Achilles surgery late in the season. Ultimately, his comeback bid came up short.

Before joining the Jets, Rodgers led the Packers to 11 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship in 15 years as the starting quarterback.

He is the Packers' franchise leader in touchdown passes (475), completion percentage (65.3) and passer rating (103.6) and ranks second behind only Brett Favre in passing yards (59,055) and completions (5,001).

Last season, Rodgers became just the fifth player in NFL history to throw 500 touchdown passes, achieving the feat in the final game of the regular season. He threw four touchdown passes in all in the game, putting him at 503 for his career. Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Favre (508) are the other members of the 500 club.

Rodgers has only thrown 116 interceptions in his 20-year career and has passed for 62,952 yards, seventh all-time.

ESPN's Rich Cimini contributed to this report.

The Sacramento Kings are finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive Scott Perry as their new general manager, sources told ESPN.

Perry, who started his executive career in 2000 with the Detroit Pistons, spent three months with the Kings in 2017 before leaving for the New York Knicks.

Perry will replace Monte McNair, who is out as Kings GM after the sides mutually agreed to his departure following Wednesday night's season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament.

Perry also has worked in front office roles with the Orlando Magic and the then-Seattle SuperSonics.

McNair spent five seasons running the Kings, winning NBA Executive of the Year in 2023 when Sacramento went 48-34 and ended an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought.

The Kings have won 40 or more games in three straight seasons under McNair's leadership. Before this streak, they had not won 40 games in any season since 2005-06.

The Kings had a .488 win percentage under McNair. From 2006-07 to when McNair took over, the franchise had a .362 win percentage, second worst in the NBA during that span.

McNair's departure comes three weeks after assistant GM Wes Wilcox left to become general manager of the University of Utah's men's basketball team. Wilcox also spent five seasons in Sacramento's front office.

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has been cleared of his deep vein thrombosis and is no longer on blood-thinning medication, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Lillard will not play Saturday for Game 1 of the Bucks' playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, and sources told ESPN the veteran guard will have a period of time to resume contact workouts and ramp up for a return.

Doctors have told Bucks officials that the speed of Lillard's recovery has never been seen before, but it occurred because of early treatment, detection and specialists working on him before a formal diagnosis, according to sources.

The Bucks said Tuesday that Lillard was making "significant improvement on his deep vein thrombosis" and that the nine-time All-Star will increase his on-court activity, but did not offer a clear timetable for his return.

The Bucks announced last month that Lillard, 34, would be sidelined indefinitely. The team said at the time that Lillard had been using a blood-thinning medication to stabilize the clot.

Coach Doc Rivers added earlier this month that he was optimistic Lillard would return at some point, but acknowledged that the team also was prepared for the nine-time All-Star to miss the rest of the season.

Lillard was averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 assists before being sidelined for Milwaukee's final 14 games of the regular season. The Bucks went 10-4 in those contests and ended the season on an eight-game winning streak.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Washington Nationals reliever Jorge Lopez has been suspended three games for intentionally throwing at Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen during Wednesday's game.

Major League Baseball announced the suspension Thursday and said Lopez has filed an appeal, meaning he will be eligible for Washington's series finale in Pittsburgh.

MLB also suspended Nationals manager Dave Martinez for one game, which he will serve Thursday afternoon.

In the seventh inning Wednesday, Lopez hit the Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds with a pitch before facing McCutchen, who had to fall to the ground to avoid getting hit by a 92 mph ball near his head.

As the umpires gathered to discuss the incident, Lopez and McCutchen started arguing, which caused both benches to empty. Pirates outfielder Tommy Pham was seen yelling while being held back by teammate Oneil Cruz.

Lopez told reporters that he was not trying to throw at Reynolds or McCutchen.

"I apologize for everything," Lopez said after the game, according to The Washington Post. "I didn't make any purpose pitch right there. I've been trying to find my way with my delivery, been trying to find my way through the whole season. It's really miserable to have that happen. I regret what just happened."

Cruz hit a grand slam later in the inning off Eduardo Salazar to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-1 victory.

"Cruz showed up," McCutchen told reporters. "Lit a fire under him. He was able to hit a grand slam. Sometimes it's needed."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rafael Nadal will be honoured in a ceremony at this year's French Open, says tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.

The Spanish great, who retired in November, won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros.

No other player has won as many singles titles at one Grand Slam event as Nadal at the French Open. The 38-year-old claimed his final Grand Slam title there in 2022.

Mauresmo said a ceremony would be held on Court Philippe Chatrier at the end of the day session on Sunday, 25 May.

"Rafa made history at Roland Garros and his 14 titles will perhaps remain unequalled," two-time major champion Mauresmo said.

"The idea is to have a vision for the future and also to celebrate those who thrilled us in the past."

Nadal lost to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev in his final French Open appearance last year.

The tournament will also honour the retiring Richard Gasquet and 2000 champion Mary Pierce.

The French Open - the second major of the year - takes place from 25 May-8 June.

Back row Erin King will miss the remainder of Ireland's Women's Six Nations campaign and the World Cup later this year because of a knee injury, the Irish Rugby Football Union has confirmed.

The 21-year-old sustained the injury during last week's defeat by England in Cork and is to undergo surgery in Dublin on Thursday before beginning her rehabilitation.

King, who was named World Rugby Women's XV's Breakthrough Player of the Year last November, will miss the forthcoming matches away to Wales and Scotland, as well as the World Cup, which takes place in England in August and September.

"I'm heartbroken," said Australia-born King.

"It feels very unfair right now but I've had the best few months with this team and I can't wait to support in every way I can from the sidelines.

"It will be a long road ahead, but with the support I have from family, friends and team-mates around me, I will learn to accept that everything happens for a reason and if I stick to the process and rehab programme set out by the medical team, I'll be back better."

Captain Rachel Malcolm misses out with a concussion as Scotland make two changes for their Six Nations trip to England on Saturday.

Malcolm suffered a head knock in the 25-17 home defeat by Italy last weekend, as did scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden.

Fly-half Helen Nelson will lead the team in Malcolm's absence.

Caity Mattinson takes over at number nine and Jade Konkel comes in at number eight as Evie Gallagher moves to blindside flanker in place of Malcolm.

Rachel McLachlan joins those two in the back row and will earn her 50th cap, while lock Becky Boyd stays in the team after making her first start against the Italians.

There are a trio of uncapped players on the bench, with Gemma Bell among the forward options, while Rhea Clarke provides scrum-half cover and centre Rachel Philipps could also make a potential debut.

Scotland opened with victory over Wales but are now fifth in the table after defeats by France and Italy.

England, aiming for a seventh successive title, lead the way with three bonus-point wins.

England have won all 23 Six Nations meetings with Scotland, the past five encounters settled by an aggregate score of 266-22.

"England have the ability to go through you physically, they also have the ability to go round you," said head coach Bryan Easson. "They can suffocate you defensively.

"They have such a good team, one to 15, or should I say one to 40. No matter what changes they make, they have world class players coming in.

"It's a huge task but one we are certainly up for.

"We were really disappointed with our performance against Italy so this is an opportunity to put that to bed and for this group to show the progress we have made."