FIFA World Cup 2026: Colombia football federation condemns death threats against Jaminton Campaz after World Cup exit | Football News

The Colombia Football Federation on Friday condemned a wave of death threats directed at midfielder Jáminton Campaz and his family following the national team’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup. Colombia’s campaign ended in a painful penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, and Campaz, who plays for Argentine club Rosario Central, became the lightning rod for the nation’s frustration after missing a critical scoring opportunity when his shot went wide during extra time.Within hours of the final whistle, Campaz’s social media accounts were flooded with hateful messages and threats so severe that he took the extraordinary decision not to board the return flight home to Colombia with his teammates. He limited comments on his social media platforms and, for his own safety, stayed away.On Instagram, he shared a photo of himself covering his face in anguish and appealed for calm. “Football is also made up of difficult moments,” he wrote. “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.”The federation responded swiftly and firmly. “No athlete, nor any member of their inner circle, should be subjected to intimidation for representing their country in a sporting arena,” their statement read. “Football must be a space for unity, respect and hope – never a setting for hatred, intimidation or violence.”The federation has also urged Colombia’s attorney general’s office to expedite an investigation to identify those behind the threats.The episode casts a dark shadow and inevitably evokes one of football’s most haunting tragedies. In 1994, Colombian defender Andrés Escobar scored an own goal during his country’s World Cup exit against the United States. Days after returning home, he was murdered in Medellín. The wound that incident left on Colombian football has never fully healed.Thirty-two years on, a missed chance has again put a Colombian footballer’s life in danger. The names and the circumstances are different. The ugliness is exactly the same.