Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo of Nacional passed away in Brazil on Tuesday, five days after collapsing from a heart attack during a match against São Paulo, the club announced.
The 27-year-old fell ill in the 84th minute of the Copa Libertadores match, a prestigious Latin American tournament.
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Izquierdo was rushed to Albert Einstein Hospital, where doctors reported he experienced a cardiac arrest caused by an arrhythmia.
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Despite being sedated and on a ventilator, his condition worsened, leading to increased brain involvement and intracranial pressure.
Nacional expressed deep sorrow in a statement on X, sharing a black-and-white photo of Izquierdo. His wife, Selena, had recently given birth to their second child.
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It was revealed on Monday that Izquierdo had been diagnosed with a minor arrhythmia a decade ago during youth team check-ups, according to Sebastian Bauza, director of the National Sports Secretariat.
Club president Alejandro Balbi noted that Izquierdo had shown no cardiac issues during exams since joining Nacional in January.
Izquierdo, born in Montevideo in 1991, began his professional career in 2017 and played for various Uruguayan clubs and Atlético San Luis in Mexico.
