Former Colombian soccer captain Freddy Rincón has died after being involved in a car accident in Cali, according to a statement from the hospital where he was being treated.

Rincón, 55, was admitted to the hospital on Monday after a car crash in the early hours of the day, according to CNN en Espaol, which cited local media.

According to the Cali Undersecretary of Mobility, Edwing Candelo, five persons were hurt in the accident, which involved a van with four occupants, including the former footballer, and a bus.

Cali’s The Imbanaco Clinic said “despite all the efforts made by our medical and assistance team, the patient Freddy Eusebio Rincón Valencia, has died today April 13, 2022.”

“There will never be a way to express what this really means for us, we invite the entire country to remember him with happiness for everything that he brought into life with his sporting successes,” the hospital added.

The Colombian Football Federation paid tribute, saying in a statement: “This is a huge loss for his family and friends, and at the same time is a regrettable loss for our sport, where we’ll miss him and remember him with great care, appreciation, respect and admiration.”

“We send strength, support and our condolences to his family, hoping that they can support this sad and painful loss,” the statement added.

He was one of the primary players in his country’s golden generation in the 1990s, having been born in 1966 in Buenaventura, in western Colombia.

He is best known for scoring against West Germany at the 1990 World Cup in Milan’s San Siro stadium, securing a 1-1 draw and ensuring Colombia a berth in the round of 16 after a 28-year absence from the competition.

Rincón also scored two goals in Argentina’s famous 5-0 victory in Buenos Aires in 1993.

He played for Santa Fe and América de Cali in Colombia, where he won three trophies.