Organizers of the Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL) said on Saturday that a "considerable number" of specially invited guests to watch the Copa America final between Brazil and Argentina are taking false COVID-19 tests to ensure their entry. is.
The match between the two arch-rivals is set to begin on Saturday night at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Although fans were banned from the tournament's first 27 games due to the pandemic in South America, CONMEBOL and Rio de Janeiro officials decided to allow 6,500 invited guests to the finals, or about 10% of the stadium's capacity.
All attendees are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test prior to entry.
However, "a considerable number of fraudulent PCR tests have been detected between those recognized for the Argentina segment and the Brazil segment," CONMEBOL said.
"These people will not be allowed to enter the stadium. The controls will be extremely strict to ensure access to the final of the Copa America."
The organization did not specify how many of the tests were fraudulent.