A few days after collapsing during a Copa Libertadores match in Brazil, Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo has died at the age of 27, his club confirmed.
Nacional, his club, announced that the cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest linked to a cardiac arrhythmia, according to the doctors treating him at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.
Izquierdo passed away at 9:38 PM on Tuesday evening (00:38 GMT on Wednesday).
The center-back collapsed in the 84th minute of the second leg of the round of 16 match against São Paulo FC last Thursday.
Nacional described Izquierdo’s death as an “irreparable loss” in a post on the social media platform X.
Alejandro Domínguez, the head of South American football association CONMEBOL, also expressed his condolences to Izquierdo’s club and family, stating, “South American football is in mourning.”
During his time at Nacional, Izquierdo played 33 matches and scored two goals.
São Paulo won the game 2-0 last Thursday and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores.
