Colombia winger Jaminton Campaz receives death threats after World Cup miss, fails to return home

Hupu Football News — July 10. According to infobae, Colombian winger Jaminton Campaz has received a large number of death threats after missing a crucial chance in Colombia's Round of 16 loss to Switzerland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The threats have reportedly prevented him from returning to the country.

Background

Colombia was eliminated by Switzerland in a penalty shootout during the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. On the early morning of Thursday, July 9 (local time), several Colombian internationals returned home.

Key players including James Rodríguez, Davinson Sánchez, and Juan Fernando Quintero took a flight from Vancouver to Bogotá. The flight departed at 5:00 PM local time and arrived at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá around 3:00 AM Colombian time.

Campaz Unable to Board Return Flight

According to reports, Jaminton Campaz did not board this flight due to threats against his own life and that of his family. Despite being nicknamed "Bicho," scoring Colombia's third goal against Uzbekistan, converting the third penalty in the shootout against Switzerland, and recording at least one shot on target in that match, he became the target of threatening messages on social media.

Journalist Raises Alarm

Camilo Pinto, a Caracol Radio journalist covering Tolima Sports Club — where Campaz made his professional debut and grew up — issued a warning on social media and shared comments left under Campaz's photos.

Pinto wrote: "So, Jaminton Campaz receives threats for missing a goal chance and can't return to Colombia? Some fans are disgusting; they want us to relive the 1994 Andrés incident. And what fault does the player's 5-year-old daughter have? A bunch of idiots!"

The Missed Chance

The criticized attack by the Rosario Central forward occurred in the 114th minute, during the second half of extra time. An opposing defender's clearance error caused the ball to bounce off Daniel Muñoz and land at Campaz's feet. With a narrow angle and the onrushing goalkeeper closing in, Campaz had little room to shoot and ultimately sent the ball over the bar.

Campaz Speaks Out

Faced with a flood of violent comments, Campaz was forced to restrict comments on his Instagram page. He released a statement addressing the threats:

"My Colombia, please never set respect aside. We can have different opinions, feel frustrated or sad, but no passion can justify hatred and living in fear."

He explicitly opposed any form of intimidation and reminded fans that while football can evoke strong emotions, it should never endanger the safety of players and their families.

Campaz directly called on fans to stop hatred and online persecution, noting that the threats even involved his close ones. He emphasized that love for football cannot become an excuse to attack others or a reason to create fear.

Shared Pain and Responsibility

Campaz admitted that the pain of elimination was very hard for him and that, as a representative of millions of Colombians, he felt a sense of responsibility. He acknowledged that the sadness was shared by both players and fans.

"I want to tell the whole country that I share the pain of this elimination just like everyone else. We also dreamed of moving forward, and I know the sadness we feel today as Colombians."

He reiterated that emotions in the locker room were very intense and that the team had high hopes of advancing further in the tournament.

Gratitude and Reflection

The Rosario Central winger expressed gratitude to everyone who accompanied him during the World Cup journey, especially fans who supported the team until the last minute.

"I want to sincerely thank everyone who accompanied us during this World Cup, those who believed in us, supported us until the last minute, and never stopped trusting us."

He also highlighted support from his family, calling them his "strength in every step."

Campaz took responsibility for the team's elimination and deeply regretted not bringing the joy of historic advancement to the nation. He assured that the team never lacked effort or a sense of responsibility on the field.

"I deeply regret not being able to bring the joy we all hoped for. But I want you to know that we never lacked effort, responsibility, or love for this jersey. I gave everything on the field, and I would do it again and again for my country."

He added: "Football also consists of difficult moments. Today, all that remains is to learn, get back up, and keep working to become stronger."

Support from Teammates

After Campaz's statement, Colombia World Cup squad member Juan Fernando Quintero expressed his support: "Go for it, my brother, I love you, and I'll miss you."

Source: infobae