Riot erupts at Lima, Peru soccer match, killing hundreds
Riot erupts at Lima, Peru soccer match, killing hundreds On this day in 1964, one of the worst riots in a soccer match occur. A referee’s call in a soccer match between Peru and Argentina starts a riot that killed 300 fans and injured 500 people. The game was a qualifier for the 1964 olympics. Once the referee disallowed a goal for Peru, the outrage started. A referee’s call in a soccer match between Peru and Argentina sparks a riot on May 24, 1964. More than 300 fans were killed and another 500 people were injured in the violent melee that followed at National Stadium in Lima, Peru. The match was a qualifier for the 1964 Olympics and the Peruvian fans were fiercely cheering on their team with only a few minutes left in a close game. When the referee disallowed an apparent goal for Peru, the stadium went wild. The resulting panic and crowd-control measures taken caused stampedes in which people were crushed and killed. The extent of this disaster has only been surpassed once. In 1982, ...