Football: ten players who died during matches
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
The death of Spanish striker Jesús de Miguel after a collision in Spain’s second division has revived memories of ten footballers who died during a match or after falling ill on the pitch. The list includes Nigeria’s Samuel Okwaraji and Cameroon’s Marc-Vivien Foé, reports Punch.
The death of Spanish striker Jesús de Miguel after a collision in Spain’s second division has renewed attention on footballers who died during a match. PUNCH Online listed ten players whose deaths marked football history in an article published on Wednesday.
The list includes Nigeria international Samuel Okwaraji, who died aged 25 after collapsing during a World Cup qualifying match against Angola on 12 August 1989 in Lagos. It also recalls the death of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé, who died aged 28 after falling ill during the Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia on 26 June 2003, as well as that of Hungarian striker Miklós Fehér, who suffered cardiac arrest during a Benfica match against Vitória de Guimarães on 25 January 2004, according to PUNCH Online.
Jesús de Miguel died after colliding with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in stoppage time of a match that was level at 2-2. The Spanish striker was resuscitated on the pitch before being taken to hospital, where his condition deteriorated. His death was reported on 3 November 2026, while Spanish police are investigating his death, according to previously published reports.
