Colombia captain Andres Escobar was shot dead outside a Medellin nightclub on July 2, 1994, days after scoring an own goal at the World Cup. The 27-year-old defender, affectionately known as El Caballero del Futbol, or the Gentleman of Football, was shot six times with a38 caliber pistol in his car. He was taken to hospital but died 45 minutes later.
Escobar was targeted after Colombia suffered a shock group-stage exit from the tournament in the United States. His death inflamed national anger over the country's rampant drugs trade and chaotic security situation.
Escobar was remembered as a national hero despite the tragic events on the pitch. Colombia had arrived at the 1994 World Cup as exalted contenders expected by many to return home with the trophy.
World Cup expectations and qualifying run
Colombia qualified top of their group unbeaten with a golden generation squad featuring Carlos Valderrama, Faustino Asprilla, and Freddy Rincon. In 1993, 70,000 supporters filled the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez in Barranquilla to witness Colombia beat Argentina 2-1. The defeat ended a 33-game unbeaten streak for Argentina, who had won back-to-back Copa Americas titles.
Later in 1993, Colombia defeated Argentina 5-0 in Buenos Aires and received a standing ovation from the home crowd. Brazilian legend Pele subsequently endorsed La Tricolor by naming them as favorites to win the 1994 World Cup.
The national team became a symbol of escapism for a populace living through severe civil instability. Drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, head of the Medellin cartel, was killed in December 1993, causing the underworld to fracture into unpredictable violence.
Cartel violence and team intimidation
Jaime Gavira, cousin of Pablo Escobar, described the turmoil on The Two Escobars: "When Pablo died, the city spun out of control. The boss was dead, so everyone became their own boss. Pablo had prohibited kidnappings. He ran the underworld with complete order. Anything illegal, you asked for Pablo’s permission."
Violence surged across Colombia in 1994, reaching a rate of two murders per hour during one weekend in June, including the death of a 15-year-old girl. Cartels and betting syndicates were widely rumoured to exert pressure on the national team. Squad members had previously visited Pablo Escobar in prison, including a reluctant Andres Escobar, while goalkeeper Rene Higuita was jailed shortly before the World Cup due to ties with the drug boss.
Head coach Francisco Maturana was rumoured to be under gang influence and later stated he received death threats forcing him to drop Barrabas Gomez following an opening defeat. Some players refused to play due to fears over the consequences of losing.
Colombia lost their opening World Cup match 3-1 against Romania in front of 91,000 spectators in blistering heat, with Gheorghe Hagi scoring a trademark long-range goal. The defeat left supporters dismayed and increased pressure on the second group fixture.
Group stage defeat in Pasadena
Colombia faced the host nation, the United States, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena before a crowd of 93,000. In the 35th minute of the match, Escobar stretched to intercept a cross from John Harkes and accidentally diverted the ball into his own net. Colombia lost the match 2-1.
Although Colombia beat Switzerland 2-0 in their final group match to end the tournament respectably, they finished bottom of the group and were eliminated. Criminals suspected of betting heavily on Colombia's advancement viewed the own goal as an unforgivable mistake.
Following the elimination, Escobar was offered the chance to remain in the United States to work for a Colombian television station. He rejected the proposal, telling his sister Maria Ester: "I want to go to Colombia and show my face."
Return to Colombia and newspaper message
Upon returning home, Escobar published a message in the El Tiempo newspaper in Bogota, writing: "Life doesn’t end here. We have to go on. Life cannot end here. No matter how difficult, we must stand back up. We only have two options: either allow anger to paralyse us and the violence continues, or we overcome and try our best to help others. It’s our choice. Let us please maintain respect. My warmest regards to everyone. It’s been a most amazing and rare experience. We’ll see each other again soon because life does not end here."
A few days after his return, Escobar went to a nightclub in Medellin with his childhood friend Juan Jairo Galeano and several companions. Drug traffickers David Gallon and Santiago Gallon were seated at another table inside the venue.
Prosecutor Jesus Albeiro Yepes described the encounter: "From the table of David and Santiago Gallon, who were with a group of friends, they began to shout: 'Own goal, Andres, own goal.' They provoked him again and again. He asked for respect and walked away. Andres was uncomfortable all night. When he left the place, already in his car, he realised that those who bothered him were in the parking lot."
Confrontation in Medellin and shooting
Escobar was shot while sitting inside his vehicle in the parking lot on July 2, 1994. He was rushed to hospital but was declared dead 45 minutes later.
On July 3, 1994, drug trafficker Humberto Castro Munoz confessed to the murder. Munoz worked as a driver for Santiago Gallon, who had reportedly lost large sums of money following Colombia's World Cup elimination. Authorities never conclusively proved that the murder was ordered due to the own goal, though it remains the widely held hypothesis.
Confession, sentencing and funeral
Munoz was sentenced to 43 years in prison for the shooting but was released after serving 11 years.
Escobar was given a massive public funeral in Medellin, attended by 120,000 people including the president of Colombia. He remains revered as a football hero across the nation, while his death remains a symbol of the country's turbulent era under the influence of the illegal drugs trade.
