Footballer Juan Izquierdo, 27, dies after collapsing on pitch

He had collapsed during a game last week

Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo has died after collapsing on the pitch during a game, his club has announced.

The 27-year-old was playing for Club Nacional in the second leg of a Copa Libertadores round of 16 match at Brazil's Morumbi stadium on August 22, when he collapsed in the 84th minute after suffering an irregular heartbeat.

Since then, he had been undergoing medical treatment.

But Club Nacional have now announced that he has sadly passed away.

In a post on X, the Uruguayan side said: “It is with the deepest sorrow and shock in our hearts that the Club Nacional announces the death of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo.

“We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional is in mourning for his irreparable loss.”

Alejandro Domínguez, the president of South American football’s governing body, said "South American football is in mourning" following the news of Izquierdo's passing. He sent his condolences to the player's family and friends.

Meanwhile, São Paulo, who were Club Nacional's opponents when Izquierdo collapsed, said it was a "sad day for football."

Izquierdo had been receiving treatment at Hospital Albert Einstein, where doctors said he had “cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.”

In a statement on Monday, they said he was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and under neurological critical care since Monday, the Guardian reports.

Following his collapse, the first and second divisions of Uruguayan football were both suspended over the weekend. Sāo Paulo players also shirts in support of the Uruguayan footballer before their 2-1 Brazilian league win against Vitória on Sunday.

Izquierdo started his professional career in 2018 at local club Cerro. He ended up joining Nacional in 2022, before moving to the local Liverpool club. There, he was a standout player as the club one their first Uruguayan league title in more than a century.

He had returned to Nacional this year, and was challenging his countryman and international footballer Sebastian Coates for a place in the starting lineup. He had played 23 games this year, scoring once.