Heartbreaking moment footballers in Brazil scream for ambulance after Uruguayan Juan Izquierdo collapses on the pitch and is pronounced dead days later

Heartbreaking footage has emerged of the night Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo fell asleep during a match in Brazil. The footage shows tense moments as teammates and opponents waved panicked emergency workers onto the pitch.

Izquierdo died at the age of 27, according to his Uruguayan club and the South American Football Federation.

Match footage from Nacional’s match in Sao Paulo shows alarmed players urging an ambulance to immediately enter the pitch amid the frantic scene. The original broadcast also included the moment Izquierdo stumbled backwards before collapsing.

The club Nacional posted a statement on social media saying Izquierdo’s death was felt “with deep pain and impact in our hearts” and that “all of Nacional is in mourning for his irreplaceable loss.”

The South American Football Confederation also posted a tribute, just days after he collapsed on the pitch and was rushed to hospital, after which the team announced his condition was “stable”.

Players during a recent match in Sao Paulo call for an ambulance to come to Izquierdo’s aid

The ambulance immediately drove onto the field to retrieve the collapsed player

Nacional defender Juan Manuel Izquierdo poses for the team photo in March

Izquierdo was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital after falling asleep during a Copa Libertadores football match at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo last Thursday.

The hospital said in a statement Tuesday evening that Izquierdo had “cardiorespiratory failure related to his cardiac arrhythmia.”

In a statement Monday, doctors at the hospital said Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and in neurological intensive care since Monday.

Izquierdo’s professional career began in 2018 with local club Cerro. The following year, he joined Peñarol, but did not get much playing time. The defender then left for Montevideo Wanderers.

His athletic form and sharp tackling attracted the attention of Mexican San Luís in 2021, but he quickly returned to Montevideo Wanderers.

Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one game and was then transferred to the local club from Liverpool.

The defender was one of Liverpool’s best players in the campaign that led the team to a Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club’s first in more than a century.

An ambulance takes Izquierdo off the field during the Copa Libertadores match in Sao Paulo

Players desperately call for medical help after Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch last week

Nacional announced he was stable after the match, but he passed away on Tuesday

Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and competed for a starting position with veteran Sebastián Coates, who played for the Uruguay national team. He played 23 games this year and scored one goal.

Izquierdo was married and had two children. The youngest, a boy, was born in early August.

Uruguayan media reported that Izquierdo’s parents and Nacional executives were in hospital in Sao Paulo.

Uruguay’s first and second division leagues were postponed over the weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo’s health. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer for the team’s 2-1 Brazilian League victory over Vitoria on Sunday.

Real Madrid star Rodrygo and former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino also paid tribute

Since then, Neymar has led the tributes to Izquierdo.

In a post on Instagram, Neymar posted a black-and-white photo of Izquierdo with the caption: ‘Lots of strength to the family and friends.’

Real Madrid star Rodrygo also wrote: ‘A very sad moment in football.

“I wish Juan Izquierdo’s family, friends and teammates much strength. May God bless them all… my deepest condolences.”

Another Brazilian star, former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, wrote on Instagram: ‘May the holy spirit of God comfort and encourage the whole family.’