Rain doesn’t stop Brazil, Scotland fans from arriving early at Miami Stadium
As Brazil and Scotland prepared for Wednesday’s World Cup matchup at Miami Stadium, the usual match-day traffic came with something fans around the venue had largely avoided during Miami’s first three World Cup games: a hard afternoon rain.
For two fan bases that had already turned parts of South Florida into pregame gathering spots, the scene around Miami Gardens became a waiting game.
Even with the match not starting until 6 p.m., a sea of bright-yellow Brazil jerseys, navy Scotland jerseys and tartan kilts filled the parking lots of local businesses by 1 p.m. In an attempt to stay dry before gates opened at 3 p.m., fans packed the Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Denny’s near the stadium.
Some fans, including Scottish supporter Rory Syme, arrived early and gathered near a shopping center by the stadium while waiting for gates to open. Syme said his group wanted to beat the weather and traffic before the area got too crowded.
“We knew it was going to be absolute bedlam, so we figured we’d get out early,” Syme said. “We’ve been waiting 20 years for this. I wasn’t going to miss anything because I was stuck in traffic.”
Syme’s group was trying to arrive early for hospitality access at the FIFA Pavilion, which opened at 3 p.m., three hours before kickoff.
As the rain picked up, the World Cup atmosphere moved indoors and under whatever cover fans could find. People also moved quickly to capitalize on the weather, riding bicycles through the area while selling raincoats and ponchos to fans caught outside before conditions began to clear.
The traffic restrictions around Miami Stadium remained similar to earlier match days, just with fans filling the area sooner. Roads around the venue were tightly controlled, with Northwest 199th Street restricted near the stadium and Florida’s Turnpike Exit 2X closed to drivers without official FIFA parking passes.
Official stadium parking was limited to fans who had purchased parking in advance, pushing others toward private lots near homes and businesses around the stadium. One lot was available off Douglas Road and Northwest 205th Street, where fans could park and walk toward the venue along the grassy stretch near the canal.
Around Northwest 27th Avenue, nearby residents and businesses also advertised parking to passing drivers.
For fans without tickets, there was still no official outdoor experience built around Miami Stadium.
The city’s main public gathering spot remained the FIFA Fan Festival at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, which was scheduled to run Wednesday from 2 to 11 p.m. with live match broadcasts, food, drinks, entertainment and fan activities.