Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo dies at 27 after collapsing on pitch

Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo died on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrhythmia. On Thursday, the player collapsed on the pitch in the final minutes of a Copa Libertadores clash as Brazil’s São Paulo hosted his side, Nacional.

The game was stopped after Izquierdo fell to the ground, and an ambulance entered the field to rush him to hospital. Nacional later announced that he had experienced cardiac arrhythmia and was being treated at the Albert Einstein Hospital’s ICU, but initially said that he was stable.

However, later reports confirmed that the condition was affecting his brain, creating pressure within his skull, and he was on mechanical ventilation. His neurological condition became critical on Monday, and on Tuesday night, the club confirmed the player had passed away.

Izquierdo’s wife expressed her grief in a message on his Instagram account. “Today I had to bid farewell to my other half, the love of my life,” she wrote. “Today a part of me is leaving with you.” The couple had a two-year-old daughter and newborn son.

News of Izquierdo’s death sent ripples through the footballing world. South American football confederation Conmebol and its president Alejandro Dominguez offered condolences, as did the Argentine Football Federation, clubs such as Boca Juniors and River Plate and even French giants Paris Saint Germain.

International star Luis Suárez, who played with Izquierdo when he returned to Nacional in 2022, shared a message on his Instagram. “Pain and sadness, it’s hard to explain. May you rest in peace and wishing a lot of strength for your family and friends,” he wrote.

On Monday, the Uruguayan football league announced the suspension of matchdays two and three as a result of Izquierdo’s condition.

Several players have experienced serious heart conditions on the pitch in recent years. In 2021, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during a Euro 2021 clash between Denmark and Finland. The player received swift medical attention and was able to continue playing professionally.

Argentina striker Sergio “Kun” Agüero was forced to retire after feeling breath shortness and dizziness during a game between FC Barcelona and Alavés the same year. He was hospitalized for several days after it was discovered that he had suffered from arrhythmia, with doctors recommending he officially retire from professional football.