Juan Izquierdo, the Uruguayan soccer player who collapsed on the pitch last week after suffering from arrhythmia, has died, his club, the Uruguay National Football Club, announced.
The 27-year-old had been undergoing treatment since collapsing during the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 tie against Sao Paulo at the Morumbi Stadium in Brazil on August 22.
“It is with deep sadness and shock that Club Nacional announces the death of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo,” Nacional wrote on X. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. Everyone at Nacional mourns his irreparable loss.”
South American football's governing body president Alejandro Dominguez also sent his condolences to Izquierdo's family and friends. “South American football is in mourning,” he added.
The city of Sao Paulo said it was deeply saddened by the news and called it a “sad day for football.”
Izquierdo was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital after collapsing last Thursday. The hospital said in a statement late Tuesday that he suffered “cardiac arrest secondary to arrhythmia.”
Doctors at the hospital said in a statement on Monday that Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and in the neuro-intensive care unit since Monday.
Uruguay's first and second division soccer games were postponed over the weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo's health. Sao Paulo players wore shirts in support of the Uruguayan footballer before the team's 2-1 win over Vitoria in the Brazilian league on Sunday.
Izquierdo came on at half-time against Sao Paulo for the Uruguayan club's Sebastian Coates, but the defender collapsed unconscious in the 84th minute without making contact with any other player.
Players from both teams immediately called for medical assistance and, still unconscious, Izquierdo was taken off the pitch in an ambulance amid the applause of the fans and treated in the intensive care unit at the Albert Einstein Hospital.
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Izquierdo began his professional career with hometown club Cerro in 2018. He joined Peñarol the following year but did not get many minutes, after which the defender moved to Montevideo Wanderers.
Izquierdo signed with Nacional in 2022 and made one appearance before moving to his hometown club Liverpool. The defender was one of Liverpool's best players in the season he led the team to the Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club's first title in over 100 years.
Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and competed for a starting spot with veteran former Uruguay international Coats. Izquierdo has made 23 appearances this year, scoring one goal.
