Midfielder Jaminton Campaz and his family received death threats following the national team’s elimination from the ongoing edition of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which the Colombian football organisation condemned on Friday.
Colombia’s tournament came to an end on Tuesday as they lost to Switzerland in a round of 16 penalty shootout. Campaz, who plays for Rosario Central in Argentina, lost a crucial scoring chance during extra time as his shot went wide. The federation announced in a statement that “No athlete, nor any member of their inner circle, should be subjected to intimidation for representing their country in a sporting arena.”
Jaminton Campaz On Receiving Death Threats
Campaz posted a picture of himself covering his face in frustration on Instagram along with a request for respect.
“Football is also made up of difficult moments. My Colombia, please let us never lose sight of respect. We may think differently or feel frustration and sadness, but no passion justifies hatred or living in fear,” he wrote.
The Colombian federation has called on the nation’s attorney general’s office to launch an investigation as soon as possible to find the perpetrators of the harassment.
“Football must be a space for unity, respect, and hope – never a setting for hatred, intimidation, or violence,” the federation stated, urging supporters to make sure that disappointments in sports never result in hostility in the real world.
The Andrés Escobar Tragedy
A troubling period in Colombian football history is evoked by the threats. Defender Andrés Escobar scored an own goal in a 2-1 defeat against the host country during the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Escobar was killed in Medellín a few days after the team was defeated and sent home.
As for Switzerland, they sealed the spot in the quarterfinals after beating Colombia. They will now be going against ‘s Argentina in the hope of pulling off one of the biggest upsets against the tournament’s defending champions and keep this astonishing 2026 run going.