The Colombian Football Federation condemned the death threats to which midfielder Jaminthon Cambaz and members of his family were subjected, following the Colombian national team's exit from the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
The Colombian national team had bid farewell to the World Cup competitions after losing to Switzerland on penalties, while Cambaz missed a sure chance during extra time after shooting the ball outside the goal.
The Colombian Federation said in an official statement: "No player or any member of his family should be subjected to intimidation because of representing his country in a sports competition".
For his part, Cambaz posted a picture of himself on his Instagram account covering his face, and wrote: "Football is also full of difficult moments. Colombia, we must never lose respect. We may feel frustrated and sad, but there is no passion that justifies hatred or living in fear".
The Federation demanded that the Attorney General's office speed up the investigations in order to identify those responsible for the threats, affirming that "football should be a space for unity, respect and hope, and not for hatred, intimidation or violence".
The statement recalled one of the most tragic incidents in the history of Colombian football, when defender Andres Escobar was killed in 1994, days after scoring an own goal in his country's national team match during the World Cup in the United States, which caused Colombia's exit from the tournament.
