Harrowing footage has emerged from the night Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo collapsed during a match in Brazil, showing the tense moments as teammates and opponents frantically waved for emergency medics to enter the field.
Izquierdo died at the age of 27 days, according to reports from his Uruguayan club and the governing body of South American football.
Footage from Nacional’s game in Sao Paulo shows alarmed players calling for an ambulance to rush straight onto the pitch amid a frenetic scene. The original broadcast also included the moment Izquierdo staggers backwards before collapsing.
The club, Nacional, published a statement on social media saying that Izquierdo’s death is felt “with deep pain and impact in our hearts” and “all of Nacional is mourning his irreplaceable loss.”
South American football’s governing body also issued a tribute, just days after he collapsed on the pitch and was rushed to hospital, before the team announced he was in a “stable condition”.
Players during a recent match in Sao Paulo call for an ambulance to help Izquierdo
The ambulance rushed straight onto the pitch to reach the collapsed player.
Nacional defender Juan Manuel Izquierdo poses for the team photo in March
Izquierdo was taken to the Albert Einstein Hospital after collapsing during a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium last Thursday.
The hospital said in a statement released Tuesday night that Izquierdo suffered “a cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.”
In a statement released Monday, doctors at the hospital said Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and under neurological intensive care since Monday.
Izquierdo’s professional career began in 2018 at local club Cerro. The following year he joined Peñarol, but did not get much playing time. The defender then moved to Montevideo Wanderers.
His athleticism and precise tackling caught the eye of Mexico’s San Luis in 2021, but he quickly returned to Montevideo Wanderers.
Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one match and was then transferred to local club Liverpool.
The defender was one of Liverpool’s best players in the campaign that led the team to win the Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club’s first in more than a century.
An ambulance takes Izquierdo off the field during the Copa Libertadores match in Sao Paulo
Players are desperately calling for medical attention after Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch last week
Nacional announced that he was stable after the match, but he passed away on Tuesday
Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and was competing for a starting spot with veteran Sebastian Coates, who played for Uruguay’s senior national team. This year he played 23 games and scored one goal.
Izquierdo was married and had two children: the youngest, a boy, was born in early August.
Uruguayan media reported that Izquierdo’s parents and Nacional officials were in hospital in Sao Paulo.
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 before the team’s 2-1 victory in the Brazilian league against Vitoria on Sunday.
Real Madrid star Rodrygo and former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino have also posted tributes
Since then, Neymar has led the tributes to Izquierdo.
In a message on Instagram, Neymar posted a black and white photo of Izquierdo along with the message: ‘Lots of strength to family and friends.’
Real Madrid star Rodrygo also posted: ‘A very sad moment in football.
‘I wish Juan Izquierdo’s family, friends and colleagues much strength. May God bless you all… my deepest condolences.’
Another Brazilian star, former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, wrote on Instagram: “May the Holy Spirit of God comfort and console the whole family.”