Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel died in hospital on November 3, 2026, after colliding with Andorra’s goalkeeper during a match the previous day. He lost consciousness on the pitch, and his neurological condition later worsened in hospital, where his death was confirmed on Tuesday morning.
De Miguel’s death follows several other fatal incidents during football matches. Portuguese attacking midfielder Kevin Castro died in hospital on August 23, 2026, after collapsing ten minutes into a third-division game between Real Sport Clube and Estrela da Amadora the day before.
In August 2024, Uruguayan defender Juan Izquierdo suffered a cardiac emergency during a Copa Libertadores match between Nacional and São Paulo. His death was confirmed several days later. Ghana international Raphael Dwamena also collapsed during an Albanian league match in November 2023; he had a known history of heart problems.
Other players who died after medical emergencies during games include Cameroonian midfielder Patrick Ekeng, who suffered a heart problem seven minutes after coming on for Dinamo Bucharest in May 2016, and Belgian defender Gregory Mertens, who died in hospital three days after suffering a cardiac arrest during a reserve-team match in April 2015.
Italian midfielder Piermario Morosini died after collapsing during a second-division match in Pescara in April 2012. In December 2007, Scottish midfielder Phil O’Donnell suffered a heart problem while leaving the field after scoring for Motherwell. Spanish defender Antonio Puerta died three days after suffering multiple cardiac arrests during a match against Getafe in August 2007. He had collapsed first on the pitch and then in the dressing room; he had a ventricular arrhythmia.
In December 2004, Brazilian forward Cristiano Junior collided with an opposing goalkeeper during an Indian league match, scored, and later died from his head injuries. That October, São Caetano player Serginho collapsed during a match against São Paulo and died soon afterward. An autopsy found that his diseased heart weighed 600 grams, around twice the normal weight, and the club, its president and its doctor received severe sporting sanctions.
Hungarian forward Miklos Feher, 24, collapsed during Benfica’s match against Vitória de Guimarães in January 2004. He was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness; an autopsy found a heart malformation. Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé, 28, died in June 2003 after a cardiac emergency during a Confederations Cup semifinal against Colombia. He collapsed at the center circle in Lyon and could not be revived after 45 minutes of resuscitation. An autopsy found a heart malformation.
Sources: Folha Esporte.