Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes eskoˈβaɾ saldaˈrjaɣa]; 13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) was a Colombian professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed The Gentleman, he was known for his clean style of play and calmness on the pitch.
Escobar was murdered in the aftermath of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, reportedly as retaliation for having accidentally scored an own goal which contributed to Colombia's elimination from the tournament. His murder further tarnished the image of the country internationally. Escobar himself had worked to promote a more positive image of Colombia, earning acclaim in the country.
Escobar is still held in high regard by Colombian fans, and is especially mourned and remembered by Atlético Nacional's fans.
Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga was born in Medellín on 13 March 1967. He grew up in a middle-class family. He attended Colegio Calasanz and graduated from Instituto Conrado González. He participated in school football teams before becoming a professional football player.
His father was Darío Escobar, a banker who founded an organization that gives young people the opportunity to play football instead of being on the streets. His brother, Santiago, is a former footballer who played alongside Andrés at Atlético Nacional before moving into team management in 1998.
Escobar was a defender throughout his career. His jersey number was 2, and he was known by the nicknames "El Caballero del Fútbol" ("The Gentleman of Football") and "The Immortal Number 2". In his club career, he played for Colombian club Atlético Nacional and Swiss club Young Boys.
First spell at Atlético Nacional
He joined the youth team of Atlético Nacional in 1985 and would debut for the senior team in 1986. He finished as runner-up in the 1988 Primera A, and he helped Nacional to win the 1989 Copa Libertadores and the 1989 Copa Interamericana.
He scored his first goal for Nacional during the 2–1 victory against Deportivo Quito during the Copa Libertadores group stage on 13 March 1989.
Escobar joined 1. Liga club Young Boys on a six-month deal in January 1990 and he made his debut on 25 February 1990 during the 1–1 draw against St. Gallen. He left the club on 20 August 1990 after playing only eight matches.
He rejoined Atlético Nacional in late August 1990. He won his only Primera A title in 1991, finishing runner-up again in 1990 and 1992.
Prior to the 1994 World Cup, Escobar was reported to have been offered a contract by AC Milan.
He made his debut for the Colombia national team on 30 March 1988, in a 3–0 win against Canada. His first appearance in an international competition took place at the 1988 Rous Cup, where he also scored the only goal of his career in a 1–1 draw against England.
He played four matches at the 1989 Copa América when he was 22 years old. The team was eliminated in the first round of the tournament. The same year, he also played in 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. The team finished as winners of Group 2, though had to enter the inter-confederation play-offs, where they beat Israel 1–0 on aggregate and qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, after an absence of 28 years of the tournament (since 1962). Escobar played in all of his country's matches during the World Cup as they reached the round of 16, being eliminated after a 2–1 loss to Cameroon.
Escobar was called up for the 1991 Copa América squad, where he made seven appearances. He did not participate in any games of the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification, but he was called up for the World Cup.
Escobar's own goal occurred in Colombia's second group match against host nation the United States during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Stretching to block a cross from American midfielder John Harkes, he inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net. This gave the U.S. a 1–0 lead in an eventual 2–1 victory. This meant that in order to advance to the next round, Colombia needed to defeat Switzerland in their final group match and also needed the United States to defeat Romania in the concurrent match in order to have a chance at advancing. Colombia ended up defeating Switzerland 2–0 but Romania's 1–0 victory over the United States meant Colombia was eliminated from the tournament finishing at the bottom of group A.
After the tournament, Escobar decided to return to Colombia instead of visiting relatives in Las Vegas, Nevada. On the evening of July 1, 1994, five days after the elimination of Colombia from the World Cup, Escobar called his friends, and they went to a bar in the El Poblado neighbourhood in Medellín. Then they went to a liquor store. Shortly afterwards, they arrived at the El Indio nightclub. His friends split up. At approximately 3:00 the next morning, Escobar was alone in the parking lot of El Indio, in his car, when three men appeared. They began arguing with him. Two of the men took out handguns. Escobar was shot six times with a .38 caliber Llama-brand revolver. It was reported that the killer shouted "¡Gol!" ("Goal!") after every shot. The group then drove away in a Toyota pick-up truck, leaving Escobar mortally wounded.
Escobar was taken to the hospital where he died 45 minutes later; he was 27 years old.