- Juan Izquierdo collapsed and was initially reported to be in “stable condition”
- The 27-year-old suffered a ‘cardiac arrhythmia’ and collapsed in the 84th minute.
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Juan Izquierdo has died aged 27, days after collapsing during a match in Brazil, according to his Uruguayan club and South American football’s governing body.
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”.
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.”
Players are desperately calling for medical attention after Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch last week
Izquierdo (pictured) joined Nacional in January 2024 and made 23 appearances for the club.
Nacional announced that 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 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.
Uruguayan media reported that Izquierdo’s parents and Nacional officials 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 before the team’s 2-1 victory in the Brazilian league against Vitoria on Sunday.
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.
The governing body of South American football said the continent is in mourning in a statement
Izquierdo’s parents and representatives arrived in Brazil over the weekend
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.
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.