Uruguayan footballer dies after suffering cardiac arrest on pitch

Club Nacional has announced that Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo, who collapsed on the pitch during a Copa Libertadores match, has died.

The 27-year-old player had been receiving medical attention since his collapse on the pitch during the second leg of a Copa Libertadores last-16 tie against Sāo Paulo at the Morumbi Stadium in Brazil on 22 August.

“It is with the deepest sorrow and shock in our hearts that the Club Nacional announces the death of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo,” Nacional wrote on X. “We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional is in mourning for his irreparable loss”.

Alejandro Domínguez, the president of South American football’s governing body, also extended his condolences to Izquierdo’s family and friends. “South American football is in mourning,” he added.

Sāo Paulo said they were deeply saddened by the news, calling it a “sad day for football”.

Izquierdo Had Suffered Cardiorespiratory Arrest and Increased Intracranial Pressure

Izquierdo was rushed to the Albert Einstein hospital after his collapse last Thursday. The hospital subsequently announced the player was suffering with “cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.”

This diagnosis was updated on Monday, when the hospital announced that Izquierdo was suffering from increased intracranial pressure. The Uruguayan had been on a ventilator since Sunday and received neurological critical care since Monday.

Uruguayan First- and Second-Division Matches Postponed 

Uruguay’s first- and second-division football leagues were postponed at the weekend over concerns for Izquierdo’s health. Sāo Paulo players also wore shirts bearing Izquierdo’s name.

Izquierdo was substituted on at half-time in the match against Sāo Paulo, but the player fell to the ground in the 84th minute. He hadn’t come into contact with any other players during that time.

Players from both sides immediately signalled for medical assistance. Izquierdo, unconscious as he was stretchered off the pitch, was taken to the Albert Einstein hospital but sadly never recovered.

Unusual Occurrence of Cardiac Arrests on the Pitch

Juan Izquierdo is only the latest in a string of high-profile, professional athletes to suffer sudden catastrophic incidents while competing. Many will remember Christian Eriksen being stretched off the pitch in the 2021 Euro Cup. Luckily, Eriksen went on to make a full recovery, but many others haven’t been so lucky.

A 2023 study into sudden deaths in competitive athletes highlighted that many of the deaths that happen on the pitch are potentially preventable. The study investigated 35 incidents in which professional football players collapsed on the pitch due to a cardiac arrest, 25 of whom passed away following their collapse. 

The researchers concluded that despite professional athletes’ high level of fitness, cardiac arrest and sudden death aren’t uncommon. The study underscored the importance of targeted cardiovascular screening and access to external defibrillators on the pitch to reduce the incidence of the tragedy Uruguayan football has experienced this week.