Jesus de Miguel, a 30-year-old Tenerife striker, died Tuesday morning after suffering head and chest injuries during a Spanish second-division match against FC Andorra on Monday.
De Miguel collided with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono in the 97th minute when Owono ran to clear a long ball. Owono was sent off for the challenge. De Miguel lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him and paramedics transported him to hospital by ambulance. Spanish media reported he suffered cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics before reaching hospital. His condition was described as "stable but serious" on Monday but deteriorated Tuesday morning. He died at 07:00 GMT.
The match was abandoned after the incident. Players from both teams were visibly distressed. The Spanish football federation postponed two Copa del Rey matches scheduled for Tuesday in response to his death.
De Miguel joined Tenerife on a three-year deal in 2025 and scored 11 goals in 29 appearances. His earlier club Castellon promoted to Spain's second division in 2024 after De Miguel scored 16 goals for them in 2023. He is survived by his daughter.
Tenerife said in a statement: "There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can lessen this overwhelming sadness."