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World Cup tales part 2: The murder of Andrés Escobar, just days after Colombia crashed out


The murder of Andrés Escobar in 1994 is one of the darkest stories that stems from the Fifa World Cup.

Just days after Colombia crashed out of the competition, the Club Atlético Nacional defender was shot six times and died at the age of 27.


Escobar played at the back for Colombia against the United States at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on June 22, 1994, where he accidentally deflected a cross into his own net.

This own goal resulted in a 2-1 loss for Colombia, meaning they had to beat Switzerland and hope the US defeated Romania.



Colombia would beat the Swiss 2-0, but Romania's 1-0 victory over the US saw the South American nation finish bottom of their group.

The own goal ultimately ended Colombia's tournament, with Escobar heading back to the nation rather than visiting relatives in Las Vegas.

The defender went to a nightclub with his friends upon his return on July 1, 1994, where at 3am the next morning, he was alone in a car park.

Three men approached Escobar as they got into a fierce argument, with two of the men pulling out handguns.


Andr\u00e9s Escobar


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Escobar was shot six times, with reports from eyewitnesses that the gunmen shouted "goal" for each shot fired.

He was taken to hospital but died 45 minutes later at the age of 27.

The exact motive of the killing remains unknown, with his death heavily attributed to the volatile climate of Colombia's drug cartels at the time.

It is widely believed powerful drug lords and syndicate figures lost millions of dollars betting on Colombia's progress in the World Cup.


Andr\u00e9s Escobar



Humberto Castro Munoz, a bodyguard for members of a powerful cartel (the Gallon brothers), was arrested on July 2, 1994.

He confessed to the killing of the defender the following day.

Munoz was sentenced to 43 years behind bars but would be released early for good behaviour.


Andr\u00e9s Escobar



Escobar's funeral was attended by over 120,000 people, with a statue of the player being unveiled in Medellin in July 2002.

Following his death, the Colombian's family funded the Andrés Escobar Project to help disadvantaged children learn to play football.

The story marks one of the most tragic of the World Cup, with a simple, honest mistake costing the life of a talented professional football player.

The defender only scored one goal in his international career, which came against England at Wembley Stadium in 1988, and played the majority of his career with Atletico Nacional.


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