Andrés Escobar, the tragedy that cast a shadow over the 1994 World Cup
The Colombian defender scored an own goal in the defeat to the United States that knocked his team out; ten days later he was murdered in Medellín. He was 27.
The 1994 World Cup in the United States holds one of the saddest episodes in football history. Colombia arrived among the favourites: in qualifying they had stunned the world by thrashing Argentina 5-0 in Buenos Aires, and many tipped them for a deep run.
On 22 June 1994, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Colombia lost 2-1 to hosts the United States. In the 35th minute, defender and captain Andrés Escobar tried to cut out a cross and inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. Earnie Stewart extended the lead and Adolfo Valencia's late goal was not enough. Colombia were eliminated in the group stage.
Escobar, a centre-back for Atlético Nacional, was known for his elegance on and off the pitch, so much so that he was nicknamed «the Gentleman of Football». After the exit, he returned to his native Medellín.
On 2 July 1994, just ten days after that own goal, he was shot dead in the car park of a Medellín venue. He was 27. The news shocked the sporting world. The motives for the crime have been debated for decades, and it is not appropriate here to attribute unproven causes.
His memory lives on: a sports complex and a statue in Medellín bear his name, and his death left a permanent mark on Colombian football. Beyond any result, the story of Andrés Escobar is a reminder that sport should never cost a life.
Source: Wikipedia (Andrés Escobar; 1994 FIFA World Cup Group A).