On Wednesday night, Freddy Rincon, the "Colossus of Buenaventura", died at the age of 55 after suffering a traffic accident in Cali City.
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In the early hours of Monday, Rincon was traveling in a van that crashed into a bus. He was admitted to the Imbanaco Clinic with a severe head injury, for which he underwent a surgery that lasted almost three hours. In the days that followed, his health deteriorated until he died.
Yesterday, social networks viralized the video of the goal that Rincon scored on June 19, 1990, when Colombia tied 1-1 with Germany at the World Cup in Italy.
"On that day, the sun shone throughout Colombia, which smiled thanks to Valderrama's pinpoint pass to Rincon, who pushed the ball between the legs of the German goalkeeper, Bodo Illgner," the Sport Ministry said in a posthumous tribute.
"My soul hurts. I am very sad with the departure of an admirable human being who conquered the world's hearts. Freddy, my dear friend, I will miss you forever!" said Jorge Pinto, former Colombia coach, whom Rincon always described as his "mentor" and one of his best friends.
"One day we became a family. We learned to love and respect each other. We became unforgettable. I love you," Carlos 'el Pibe' Valderrama said on his Instagram account, where he also posted a photo in which they appear together laughing.
Rincon was part of the Colombian teams that participated in world cups in Italy (1990), the United States (1994), and France (1998). He also played with the clubs Real Madrid (Spain), Santa Fe and America (Colombia), and Corinthians, Santos, and Cruzeiro (Brazil).