Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo passes away after collapsing on pitch aged 27
The defender for Uruguayan side Club Nacional died on Tuesday (27 August) after collapsing during his side's match against Sao Paulo five days earlier.
Football
Club Nacional footballer Juan Izquierdo has died at the age of 27, after he collapsed during a Copa Libertadores match in Brazil.
His club announced the news of his death on Tuesday (27 August) in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, teammates and loved ones. All of Nacional is mourning for his irreparable loss. Rest in peace. Juan, you will always be with us.”
The Uruguayan defender collapsed in the game against Sao Paulo on 22 August, where he was medically treated on the pitch before being transported to hospital and intensive care the same evening.
He suffered cardiac arrythmia during the match, a type of irregular heartbeat, requiring further neurological care in hospital.
Izquierdo represented six clubs during his career, a two-time national champion in his native Uruguay in back-to-back seasons for Nacional and then Liverpool FC Montevideo.
The centre-back also spent a few months playing in Mexico for San Luis, before returning to Uruguay in 2021.
Tributes have flooded in from the football world. Former Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán said on X, “How sad. My most sincere condolences for his family,” while Luis Suárez, who still plays for Uruguay, said on Instagram, “Pain, sadness, difficult to explain. May he rest in peace and sending strength to his family and friends.”