A footballer has passed away after collapsing during Nacional’s game against Sao Paulo on August 22, 2024.
27-year-old Nacional defender Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch during a Copa Libertadores match due to an irregular heartbeat and his condition worsened in the following days.
Izquierdo experienced a cardiac arrest after collapsing during Nacional’s game against Sao Paulo late this month. At the time of his death, the Uruguayan athlete was under treatment at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo.
Con el más profundo dolor e impacto en nuestros corazones, el Club Nacional de Football comunica el fallecimiento de nuestro querido jugador Juan Izquierdo.
Expresamos nuestras más sinceras condolencias a su familia, amigos, colegas y allegados.
Todo Nacional está de luto por… pic.twitter.com/mYU28mqw6m
— Nacional (@Nacional) August 28, 2024
Nacional had said Izquierdo was in stable condition but his health deteriorated afterwards. He was placed on a ventilator on August 25, 2024, and had been under neurological care since August 26, 2024.
In the match he collapsed in, the defender was a half-time substitute for former Liverpool player Sebastián Coates. Izquierdo collapsed in the 84th minute without any contact with another player.
However, he received immediate medical attention on the field and was quickly taken to an intensive care unit, only to succumb a few days later. Surprisingly, before this incident, Izquierdo had no known history of heart issues.
A heartbroken and shocked Club Nacional announced the death of their beloved player on X on August 28, 2024. They also wrote, “We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional is in mourning for his irreparable loss.”
As per media reports, Izquierdo’s wife, Selena, gave birth to the couple’s second child just over ten days ago. Fans and friends of Izquierdo have sent their condolences to his family and loved ones.
