Spanish professional soccer player dies after colliding with goalkeeper during game

CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel died on the 3rd (local time), the day after he violently collided with FC Andorra's goalkeeper during a Spanish professional soccer second division game.

According to Reuters and the BBC, CD Tenerife said in a statement that Jesus de Miguel passed away at 8 am on this day. De Miguel was 30 years old.

De Miguel collided with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, who ran to clear the ball, when the game held at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium in Tenerife on the 2nd was tied 2-2 and seven minutes of extra time had passed in the second half.

After the crash, De Miguel lay motionless and was treated by medical staff before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Spanish media reported that De Miguel suffered cardiac arrest in an ambulance on the way to the hospital and received CPR.

De Miguel suffered serious injuries to his chest and head and was taken to the hospital's intensive care unit, but his condition worsened and he reportedly passed away.

De Miguel was born in Madrid in 1996, and moved from Castellon to Tenerife ahead of the 2025-2026 season, scoring 11 goals last season.

Owono received a red card immediately after the collision and the match was stopped. Owono, who is from Equatorial Guinea, was flooded with malicious comments on his social media (SNS) account, and the account was deactivated this morning.

Spanish police have launched an investigation into possible manslaughter, a police source told Reuters.

In this regard, Canary Islands judicial authorities explained that such an investigation is a standard procedure for cases of death that do not appear to be natural causes.

Tenerife expressed condolences, saying, "My heart is torn with pain," and "No words can comfort me. I offer my condolences to the bereaved family, relatives, and Tenerife fans."

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) issued a statement of condolence, saying, "We convey our deepest sorrow with a devastated feeling," and postponed all matches, including the Copa del Rey (King's Cup), scheduled for that day.

UEFA has announced that a moment of silence will be held in remembrance before all European matches this week.

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe wrote on social media, "It is such a great sadness. I am at a loss for words," and former Barcelona striker Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) wrote, "I offer my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."