Juan Izquierdo dead at 27 after collapsing on the pitch during Copa Libertadores game in Brazil
- Juan Izquierdo collapsed and was initially reported to be in a ‘stable condition’
- The 27-year-old suffered a ‘cardiac arrhythmia’ and collapsed in the 84th minute
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Juan Izquierdo has died at the age of 27, days after fainting during a match in Brazil, his Uruguayan club and the South American Football Confederation said.
The club Nacional posted a statement on social media saying Izquierdo’s death was felt “with deep pain and impact in our hearts” and that “all of Nacional is in mourning for his irreplaceable loss.”
The South American Football Confederation also posted a tribute, just days after he collapsed on the pitch and was rushed to hospital, after which the team announced his condition was “stable.”
Izquierdo was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital after falling asleep during a Copa Libertadores football match at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo last Thursday.
The hospital said in a statement Tuesday evening that Izquierdo had “cardiorespiratory failure related to his cardiac arrhythmia.”
Players desperately call for medical help after Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch last week
Izquierdo (left) joined Nacional in January 2024 and has made 23 appearances for the club.
Nacional announced he was stable after the match, but he passed away on Tuesday
An ambulance takes Izquierdo off the field during the Copa Libertadores match in Sao Paulo
In a statement Monday, doctors at the hospital said Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and in neurological intensive care since Monday.
Uruguayan media reported that Izquierdo’s parents and Nacional executives were in hospital in Sao Paulo.
Izquierdo was married and had two children. The youngest, a boy, was born in early August.
Uruguay’s first and second division leagues were postponed over the weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo’s health. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer for the team’s 2-1 Brazilian League victory over Vitoria on Sunday.
Izquierdo’s professional career began in 2018 with local club Cerro. The following year, he joined Peñarol, but did not get much playing time. The defender then left for Montevideo Wanderers.
The South American Football Confederation said in a statement that the continent is in mourning
Izquierdo’s parents and representatives arrived in Brazil last weekend
His athletic form and sharp tackling attracted the attention of Mexican San Luís in 2021, but he quickly returned to Montevideo Wanderers.
Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one game and was then transferred to the local club from Liverpool.
The defender was one of Liverpool’s best players in the campaign that led the team to a Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club’s first in more than a century.
Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and competed for a starting position with veteran Sebastián Coates, who played for the Uruguay national team. He played 23 games this year and scored one goal.