Juan Izquierdo, a Uruguayan soccer player, passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Brazil, five days after collapsing during a game. He was 27 years old. Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo reported that Izquierdo succumbed to “cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia” at 9:38 p.m. local time.
Izquierdo collapsed while playing in a Copa Libertadores match at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo last Thursday and was subsequently transported to the hospital. His club, Uruguay Nacional, released a statement expressing the deep pain and impact of his loss, stating, “All Nacional is in grief for his irreplaceable loss.”
South America’s governing soccer body, CONMEBOL, and its president Alejandro Domínguez also expressed condolences, noting that “South American soccer is in mourning.” Other soccer federations, including those from Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina, voiced their sympathies.
In a statement made earlier in the week, doctors indicated that Izquierdo was placed in neurological critical care due to increased intracranial pressure, and he had been on a ventilator since Sunday. Uruguayan media reported that his parents and Nacional executives were by his side at the hospital. Izquierdo was married with two children, the youngest of whom was born in August.
Fellow players from the Uruguayan national team shared their condolences, with Inter Miami striker Luis Suárez expressing his sorrow and wishing strength to Izquierdo’s family and friends.
Leagues in both the first and second divisions of Uruguayan soccer were postponed over the weekend out of respect for Izquierdo. The players of Sao Paulo donned shirts in support of the Uruguayan soccer player prior to their recent league match.
In a club statement, Sao Paulo expressed deep sadness over Izquierdo’s passing following days of hope and prayers. “Our condolences to family, friends, teammates, Nacional fans, and all the Uruguayan people in this moment of grief,” the statement read.
Izquierdo began his professional career in 2018 with local club Cerro and spent time at Peñarol, Montevideo Wanderers, and Liverpool FC in Uruguay. He recently returned to Nacional, where he had played 23 matches this year and scored one goal.
This incident echoes the tragedy of Serginho, a defender who died in 2004 after collapsing during a Brazilian league match at the same stadium. Since then, Brazilian soccer has implemented health protocol changes, including the requirement for defibrillators in all stadiums. Izquierdo received defibrillator treatment while being rushed to the hospital.
Former Sao Caetano player Anderson Lima reflected on the sadness of Izquierdo’s death, noting the parallels to Serginho’s tragedy.