Andres Escobar

but

In Colombia the drug money was everywhere. Andres Escobar for instance played for Nacional and Nacional was Pablo Escobar's team, like Medellin . The drug lord considered the players his friends, often invited them up to his ranch to play a match. Andres Escobor (no relation) didn't like that, he didn't like mingling with criminals but knew he'd better do it.

war

Pablo Escobar, who liked to see himself as a kind of philanthropist (he had football fields installed and even a complete neighbourhood built for the poor), lost his power, had to flee and was killed. Other cartels, like the one from Cali, took over. There was almost a civil war going on when the Colombian team left for the World Cup finals in America.

well

A player's child was abducted and found, the goalie (Pedro Zape) didn't dare to come, players were threatened. Not a good start. The Colombians were nervous and lost their first match against Romania. The two styles of football, emotional vs pragmatic clashed and Hagi's side knew exactly who to stop - Valderama and Rincon - to keep the Colombians from attacking.

USA

The second match had to be won. In fact Colombia had never lost to the Americans. Gomez didn't play. The coach, his assistant and Gomez had been receiving threats that their houses in Medllin would be bombed if he did.
Play was a little better until Andres Escobar, the defender who had a big chance of moving to AC Milan, scored an own goal.

....

After the group stage the Colombians went home to a country in chaos. Players were advised to stay home for a while, to be safe. But Andres Escobar had had enough and he went out to a club with some friends. In the club he met some Cali cartel thugs who told him he had put his country to shame. Escobar, a righteous fellow, talked back, saying something like he knew he had made a mistake but these thing happen in football.
The Cali guys didn't like someone talking back to them and when Escobar left in his car, they stopped him and had their body guard shot him six times.