Death threats against Colombian footballer Jaminton Campaz revive memory of Andrés Escobar tragedy

Death threats directed at Colombian national team midfielder Jaminton Campaz following a missed scoring opportunity at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have drawn widespread condemnation, reviving the memory of the 1994 murder of defender Andrés Escobar.

The Colombian Football Federation issued a formal statement denouncing the intimidation against Campaz and his family. Federation officials emphasized that no athlete should face violence or threats for representing their country in international competition, as multiple outlets reported, drawing immediate parallels to the fatal consequences of the 1994 tournament.

The threats follow a recent violent development tied directly to the historical Escobar case. In February, Santiago Gallón, a cartel figure whose bodyguard was convicted of Escobar's murder and who was himself investigated as an accessory, was shot dead in a restaurant in Huixquilucan, Mexico.

Escobar was killed following Colombia's elimination from the 1994 World Cup, a tragedy that followed his own goal during the tournament. Gallón's involvement in the aftermath of that match remains a defining historical marker of the violence surrounding the sport during that era.

The threats against a current national team player just months after the assassination of a central figure in the 1994 case underscore the enduring and lethal intersection of organized crime and Colombian football. Authorities have not yet released further details regarding protective measures or the investigation into the threats against Campaz, and the situation remains fluid.