Jaminton Campaz reportedly missed his flight back to Colombia after alleged death threats following their World Cup exit

Jaminton Campaz has reportedly not returned to Colombia with the national team following their FIFA World Cup exit, with new reports claiming the striker stayed behind as a precaution after receiving death threats in the wake of the defeat to Switzerland.

The development comes just one day after the Colombian Football Federation publicly condemned the abuses directed at Campaz and his family, while urging authorities to investigate those responsible.Colombia’s World Cup campaign ended last Tuesday after a penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland in the round of 16. Campaz, who plays for his Argentine club, Rosario Central, suffered one of the toughest moments of the match when he wasted a golden opportunity to win the match in the final stages of extra time.

The 26-year-old was able to settle the score with less than six minutes remaining, as he fired his shot over the crossbar with the score still locked at 0-0. Despite recovering from his penalty kick during the ensuing penalty shootout, Colombia eventually lost 4–3 and were eliminated from the tournament.According to Argentinian website Infobae, Campaz did not board the Colombian team’s return flight from Vancouver to Bogotá on Thursday due to concerns about his safety following a wave of online abuse and death threats.

Several senior players, including James Rodriguez, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Fernando Quintero, were among those who returned home with the rest of the team. But Kambaz was reportedly absent from the trip. It remains unclear whether he remained in the United States or traveled separately to Argentina, where he is under contract with Rosario Central.

The aforementioned decision comes after days of continued harassment on social media following Colombia’s exit.

Kambaz then restricted comments on his accounts before posting an emotional message asking fans not to let disappointment turn into hatred.“Football also consists of difficult moments,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself covering his face in frustration.“Colombia, please let us never lose respect. We may think differently or feel frustrated and sad, but no emotion justifies hatred or living in fear.”Speaking about the tournament, Kambaz added that representing his country had fulfilled his lifelong dream.“Since I was a child, I have dreamed of defending the colors of Colombia, hearing the national anthem, representing millions of people, and scoring a goal in the World Cup. Today, I can only thank God for allowing me to fulfill this dream. These are memories that I will carry with me forever.”“I want to sincerely thank everyone who stood by us during this World Cup – those who believed in us, encouraged us until the last minute, and never lost their faith.

Thank you also to my family, who has been my strength at every step and been by my side during the happiest and most difficult moments.”

He also acknowledged the nation’s disappointment after exiting in the round of 16.“To the entire country, I can only say that I share the pain of this exclusion. We too were dreaming of progressing further, and I know the sadness that we feel today as Colombians.“I deeply regret not being able to bring the happiness we all hoped for, but I want you to know that there has been no lack of dedication, commitment or love for this jersey.

“I gave everything I had on the field, and I would do that a thousand times over for my country.”The Colombian Football Federation responded on Friday by issuing a strong statement condemning the threats directed at Campaz and those close to him, while calling on the country’s public prosecutor’s office to identify and prosecute those responsible as soon as possible.“No athlete or any member of his inner circle should be subjected to intimidation for representing his country in the sporting arena,” the federation said.“Football should be a space of unity, respect and hope, not a place of hatred, intimidation or violence.”

The incident has inevitably drawn comparisons to one of the darkest moments in Colombian football history. During the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, defender Andrés Escobar scored an own goal in Colombia’s defeat by the host country, a result that contributed to the team’s elimination. A few days after returning home, Escobar was murdered outside a nightclub in Medellin, a tragedy that remains one of football’s most painful episodes.While there is no indication that Campaz is facing a similar situation, reports that he has chosen not to return to Colombia immediately underscore the seriousness of the threats that followed the national team’s exit from the World Cup. The federation’s intervention and request for a criminal investigation is now focused on identifying those responsible for the violations rather than allowing sporting disappointment to escalate into real-world intimidation.