Gustavo Puerta’s rise from childhood bullet wound to Colombia’s World Cup midfield fulcrum | OneFootball

Gustavo Puerta, 22, has started all four of Colombia’s World Cup matches and is set to face Switzerland in the last 16 on Tuesday at 22:00. His ascent follows a childhood in which he survived a stray bullet to the leg.

According to L'Équipe, the incident happened in La Victoria on 28 February 2014. Gunmen targeted another man and a 9mm round pierced Puerta’s left leg, surgeons stemmed the bleeding but judged removal too risky at the time.

He lived for four years with the lead lodged in his thigh. Regarded as talented yet overlooked, he joined Bogotá FC at 17, debuted at 18, and at 1.73m and 70kg built a game on balance and bite.

Coaches praise his mix of technique and tenacity. Diego Stefanetti highlighted his balance between attack and defence, and Jonathan Risueño likened him to Steven Gerrard and Xavi, suggesting he could suit Real Madrid, Barcelona or PSG.

Now at Racing de Santander, newly promoted to La Liga after spells with Nuremberg, Bayer Leverkusen and Hull City, Puerta has 10 caps and one goal. His work in Néstor Lorenzo’s 4-2-3-1 underpinned a 1-0 win over Ghana in the round of 32, impressing former U20 coach Héctor Cárdenas.

Cárdenas said only a goal was missing. Friends say Puerta lifts his level for Colombia, and his father recalls he returned to training two weeks after the bullet was removed at 14.

Source: L'Équipe