Uruguayan soccer player Juan Izquierdo passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Brazil, just five days after collapsing during a match in Sao Paulo. He was 27 years old.
Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo announced that Izquierdo died at 9:38 p.m. local time from “cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.”
Izquierdo collapsed late in a Copa Libertadores game between Nacional and Sao Paulo at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo last Thursday. Following his collapse, he was immediately taken to the hospital.
Nacional expressed its sorrow in a social media statement, describing the loss as a profound blow and stating, “All Nacional is in grief for his irreplaceable loss.”
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez also expressed his condolences, saying he was “deeply sorry about the early departure of Juan Izquierdo.” The governing bodies of soccer in Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina also conveyed their sympathies.
On Monday, hospital doctors revealed that Izquierdo had been placed in neurological critical care due to increased intracranial pressure and had been on a ventilator since Sunday.
Uruguayan media reported that Izquierdo’s parents and Nacional executives were present at the hospital. He is survived by his wife and two children, including a newborn son born earlier in August.
Several players from the Uruguayan national team, including Inter Miami striker Luis Suárez, offered their condolences. Suárez described the experience as “pain, sadness, it is hard to explain,” and wished strength for Izquierdo’s family and friends.
In solidarity with Izquierdo, the first and second divisions of Uruguay’s soccer leagues postponed their matches last weekend. Players from Sao Paulo wore shirts in support of Izquierdo prior to their 2-1 victory against Vitoria in the Brazilian league.
After Izquierdo’s passing, Sao Paulo released a message reflecting on the days of prayers and hope that had been shared for him. The club extended its condolences to his family, friends, teammates, and all Uruguayan fans during this time of mourning.
Izquierdo began his professional career in 2018 with local club Cerro and joined Peñarol the following year, though his playing time was limited. Following Peñarol, he played for Montevideo Wanderers and caught the attention of Mexico’s San Luís in 2021 before returning to the Wanderers. He joined Nacional in 2022, played one match, and then transferred to Liverpool, where he was a key player in their successful campaign that clinched the Uruguayan league title in 2023—their first in over a century.
This year, Izquierdo returned to Nacional and was competing for a starting position against veteran defender Sebastián Coates. He played 23 matches this season and scored one goal.
This incident echoes the tragic death of Serginho, a defender for Sao Caetano, who died hours after collapsing during a match at Morumbi Stadium nearly two decades ago. His death led Brazilian soccer officials to implement new health protocols requiring defibrillators in every stadium. Doctors attempted to use a defibrillator on Izquierdo as he was taken to the hospital.
“Such sadness, 20 years later,” Anderson Lima, a former player for Sao Caetano, commented on Instagram. “May God comfort his family in this sad moment.”