The majority of deaths in professional football are attributed to cardiac causes, such as sudden cardiac arrest, while fatalities resulting from physical impacts are significantly less common. This was tragically underscored by the recent death of Jesús de Miguel, a forward for CD Tenerife, who passed away after sustaining a severe blow during a match.
The incident occurred during the final moments of a LaLiga Hypermotion game between Tenerife and FC Andorra, when de Miguel collided with the visiting goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, while contesting a loose ball. Following the impact to his chest, he went into cardiac arrest.
While the majority of tragedies on the pitch are not due to violent collisions but rather to undetected heart conditions, arrhythmias, and sudden deaths, there have been instances where players have died as a result of on-field impacts. Notable cases include:
- On 21 December 1986, José Antonio Gallardo, a goalkeeper for CD Málaga, suffered a collision with Brazilian forward Baltazar of Celta. Gallardo sustained a triple fracture of the right parietal bone and was hospitalised for three days. Although he was discharged without serious injuries, he later suffered a cerebral haemorrhage at home and died on 15 January 1987.
- Ukrainian international goalkeeper Serhiy Vladimirovich Perkhun died on 14 August 2001 at the age of 23 after a head-on collision with Budun Budunov of Anzhi Makhachkala. Initially released from the hospital, he later fell into a coma and passed away on 28 August.
- In 2008, Croatian player Hrvoje Custic died after hitting his head against a concrete wall while playing a match for Zadar. He suffered a skull fracture and died on 3 April.
- Indonesian goalkeeper Choirul Huda of Persela Lamongan passed away in August 2017 after colliding with Brazilian defender Ramón Rodrigues of Semen Padang. He arrived at the hospital in critical condition and died from cardiac arrest.
- Algerian player Sofiane Loukar of MC Saïda died in December 2025 after receiving a blow to the head during a match, resulting in a cranial trauma.
Deaths of footballers due to cardiac issues while active are much more prevalent. In Spain, fans of Sevilla and Espanyol remember Antonio Puerta and Dani Jarque, who both died from heart-related problems. Puerta collapsed on the pitch during a match on 28 August 2007 and died three days later at the age of 22. Jarque, then captain of Espanyol, suffered a heart attack on 8 August 2009 at the age of 26 while speaking on the phone in a hotel room in Coverziano, Italy.
