Spanish Footballer Jesus de Miguel Dies at 30 After Terrifying On-Field Collision

MADRID, Nov 3 : Spanish footballer Jesus de Miguel has died at the age of 30, a day after suffering a serious injury in an on-field collision during a Spanish second-division match, his club CD Tenerife announced on Tuesday.

The striker was injured late in Monday’s home match against FC Andorra while chasing a long ball. Visiting goalkeeper Jesus Owono came out to clear it, but his knee struck De Miguel in the chest, leaving the forward lying on the pitch.

De Miguel’s teammates immediately called for medical assistance. He reportedly suffered cardiac arrest and was resuscitated by medical personnel in the ambulance while being transported to hospital.

The match was suspended with only minutes remaining, while Owono was shown a red card following the incident.

Tenerife initially reported that De Miguel had been admitted to the intensive care unit at Nuestra Senora de Candelaria University Hospital in serious but stable condition. However, the club later announced that his neurological condition had deteriorated.

He died at 8 am local time on Tuesday.

The club expressed its grief in a statement, saying: “Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true.”

Born in Madrid, De Miguel began his career with the reserve team of Leganes before helping Internacional de Madrid secure promotion in 2018. He later played for Castellon, scoring 16 goals and providing six assists during the season in which the club earned promotion to Spain’s second division.

He joined CD Tenerife in 2025.

Following his death, the Spanish Football Federation postponed Tuesday’s first-round Copa del Rey matches and third-round Copa de la Reina matches.

LaLiga, the Spanish Footballers’ Association, Barcelona and Real Madrid also expressed their condolences. Real Madrid players observed a minute of silence before training.

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo paid tribute to the footballer, saying: “Such a young life, with so many dreams and so much ahead.”

Fatal collisions during professional football matches are rare but have occurred previously.

In September 2025, Spanish goalkeeper Raul Ramirez, 19, died after colliding with an opposing player during a fifth-division match. Indonesian goalkeeper Choirul Huda, 38, died following a collision with a teammate in 2017, while Algerian footballer Sofiane Loukar died after a similar incident in 2021.