Remembering 15 football players who died on the field
Football players, such as Marc-Vivien Foé, Miklós Fehér, and Cheick Tioté, tragically passed away due to medical conditions. Others, like Helar Gonzales, Akli Fairuz and Peter Biaksangzuala, died as a result of injuries sustained during matches.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Marc-Vivien Foé’s collapse during the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup highlighted the dangers of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in athletes.
- Miklós Fehér’s sudden death in 2004 was traced to an undetected congenital heart defect, similar to Antonio Puerta’s arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in 2007.
- Cheick Tioté and Andrés Balanta both collapsed during training sessions.
- Cases like Samuel Okwaraji in Nigeria and Chimeme Martins in Nasarawa exposed how poor medical response and equipment failures worsened outcomes.
Which football players have died on the field?
This list of football players who have died on the field is strictly based on reported and confirmed cases. These soccer players are drawn from different countries on the continent. Information included in this list is sourced from authoritative sources such as Transfermarkt and the official FIFA and football team websites.
| Player | Position | Club at the time of death |
| Marc-Vivien Foé | Defensive midfielder | Olympique Lyon |
| Miklós Fehér | Forward | FC Porto B |
| Cheick Tioté | Midfielder | Newcastle United |
| Samuel Okwaraji | Midfielder | Berchem Sport |
| Piermario Morosini | Midfielder | Udinese Calcio |
| Akli Fairuz | Striker | Persiraja Banda Aceh |
| Peter Biaksangzuala | Midfielder | Bethlehem Vengthlang FC |
| Raphael Dwamena | Forward | BSC Old Boys |
| Helar Gonzales | Attacker | Real Titán NC |
| Andrés Balanta | Midfielder | Deportivo Cali |
| Chimeme Martins | Defender | Abuja FC |
| Mohamed Abdel Wahab | Defender | El Ahly |
| Alen Pamić | Central midfielder | NK Istra 1961 |
| José Antonio Gallardo | Goalkeeper | CD Malaga |
| Antonio Puerta | Midfielder | Sevilla |
1. Marc-Vivien Foé
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Marc-Vivien Foé
- Date of birth: 1 May 1975
- Date of death: 26 June 2003
- Age at the time of death: 28 years
Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed during a 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup match against Colombia at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon, France. He died an hour later, despite prolonged efforts to save him. An autopsy revealed that the sudden death was caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary heart condition.
Before his death, Foé was a defensive midfielder, playing for West Ham and the national football teams of Cameroon. The midfield specialist was a two-time AFCON winner and French champion with two French League Cup wins.
2. Miklós Fehér
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Miklós Fehér
- Date of birth: 20 July 1979
- Date of death: 25 January 2004
- Age at the time of death: 24 years
Like Foé, Hungarian football player Miklós Fehér suffered a fatal heart attack during a Liga Portugal match between Vitória Guimarães SC and SL Benfica. At injury time, the striker who played for Benfica bent over before falling backwards, prompting teammates and medics to rush to his side.
He passed away shortly after he arrived at the hospital. An autopsy of heart tissue samples indicated that he suffered from an undetected congenital heart deformity.
3. Cheick Tioté
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Cheick (Cheik) Ismaël Tioté
- Date of birth: 21 June 1986
- Date of death: 5 June 2017
- Age at the time of death: 30 years
2015 African Cup winner Cheick Tioté died on 5 June 2017. The Ivory Coast midfielder collapsed during a training session with the Chinese club Beijing Enterprises Group FC and died shortly after.
Sources such as Tianjin University suggest that his sudden cardiac death was caused by catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). However, the true cause of his death remains a mystery.
4. Samuel Okwaraji
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji
- Date of birth: 19 May 1964
- Date of death: 12 August 1989
- Age at the time of death: 25 years
Samuel Okwaraji died on 12 August 1989 during a 1990 World Cup qualifier match against Angola at the National Stadium in Lagos. During the final moments of the match, the Nigerian national football team player collapsed.
Although an autopsy revealed that he died from congestive heart failure, an ongoing stampede outside the stadium, overstretched emergency services, and a malfunctioning ambulance contributed to his tragic death.
Today, Nigerian football lovers remember 12 August as the day the nation lost its football legend and five football fans.
5. Piermario Morosini
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Piermario Morosini
- Date of birth: 5 July 1986
- Date of death: 14 April 2012
- Age at the time of death: 25 years
Piermario Morosini, an Italian football player, collapsed and later died during a Serie B match between AS Livorno and Delfino Pescara 1936. Morosini fell face down to the ground at the 31st minute, got up, and fell again, and resuscitation efforts began in haste.
He was ferried to the Santo Spirito hospital but was pronounced dead soon after. According to Reuters, his cause of death remains undetermined even after an autopsy.
6. Akli Fairuz
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Akli Fairuz
- Date of birth: 8 May 1987
- Date of death: 16 May 2014
- Age at the time of death: 27 years
Akli Fairuz sustained serious injuries during a Liga Indonesia Premier Division match between Persiraja Banda Aceh and PSAP Sigli. The Banda Aceh striker took a kick to the stomach in a challenge as he took a shot at the opposing team's goal.
The striker was able to watch the rest of the match from the sidelines, but his condition worsened, and he was rushed to the hospital. Fairuz's death was ultimately determined to be the result of an intestinal rupture, as disclosed by the Indonesian Football Association through Mahfudin Niagara.
7. Peter Biaksangzuala
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Peter Biaksangzuala
- Date of birth: 12 September 1991
- Date of death: 19 October 2014
- Age at the time of death: 23 years
On 19th October 2014, a second football player succumbed to one of the most gruesome injuries sustained on the field. The Bethlehem Vengthlang FC midfielder damaged his spinal cord while somersaulting in celebration after scoring an equaliser against Chanmari West FC. He passed away five days later while receiving treatment.
8. Raphael Dwamena
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Raphael Dwamena
- Date of birth: 12 September 1995
- Date of death: 11 November 2023
- Age at the time of death: 28 years
Ghanaian soccer star Raphael Dwamena passed away on 11 November 2023. The forward lost consciousness during the first half of a Kategoria Superiore match between KF Egnatia Rrogozhinë and FK Partizani Tirana.
In 2021, Dwamena collapsed during an ÖFB Cup match between FC Blau-Weiß Linz and TSV Hartberg. Quick intervention by team doctors helped him regain consciousness, recover, and continue his playing career. However, efforts by the Albanian side did not bear any fruit, as Dwamena passed away.
9. Helar Gonzales
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Helar Gonzales Altamirano
- Date of birth: 2003
- Date of death: 9 April 2025
- Age at the time of death: 21 years
21-year-old Helar Gonzales passed away on 9 April 2025 after an on-field accident. The incident occurred during the 70th minute of the Copa Peru match between Real Titán NC and Defensor Nueva Cajamarca. As he reached for a header goal, Gonzales's head collided with the opposing team's goalkeeper, and he fell to the ground.
The Peruvian footballer was rushed to the hospital in Moyobamba, but succumbed to his injury two days later. His brother, Eliceo, later revealed that the blunt force trauma to his head ruptured an artery in his brain.
10. Andrés Balanta
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Andrés Felipe Balanta Cifuentes
- Date of birth: 18 January 2000
- Date of death: 29 November 2022
- Age at the time of death: 22 years
On 29 November 2022, Colombian football fans woke up to the news of Andrés Balanta's death. The team announcement shared on X (Twitter) revealed that Balanta had collapsed during a preseason training session at the Atletico Tucuman club facilities. He later died at the Centro de Salud hospital.
11. Chimeme Martins
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Chimeme Martins
- Date of birth: 21 October 1997
- Date of death: 3 August 2020
- Age at the time of death: 22 years
Nigerian football player Martins Chimeme died a couple of minutes before halftime during a match between Nasarawa United and Katsina United on 3 August 2020. He was announced dead on arrival at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia.
Chimeme's death was precipitated by a series of misfortunes that had also befallen Dominic Dukudod of Abiuja FC fifteen months prior, as reported by the BBC. These include a lack of suitably trained medical personnel and equipment, as well as a malfunctioning ambulance.
12. Mohamed Abdel Wahab
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Mohamed Mohamed Abdel Wahab
- Date of birth: 13 July 1983
- Date of death: 31 August 2006
- Age at the time of death: 23 years
Egyptian footballer Mohamed Abdelwahab died tragically during an Al Ahly training session on 31 August 2006, at age 23, due to a heart attack. He collapsed on the pitch and was rushed to a hospital; efforts to revive him failed. Abdel Wahab was a key player for some of the most successful football clubs, Al Ahly and the Egyptian national team.
13. Alen Pamic
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Alen Pamić
- Date of birth: 15 October 1989
- Date of death: 21 June 2013
- Age at the time of death: 23 years
Croatian international footballer Alen Pamić tragically died on 21 June 2013, after collapsing during an indoor futsal game with friends. Sources such as Croatia Week suggested that he suffered a heart attack, as he had a history of heart problems.
14. José Antonio Gallardo
Source: Facebook
- Full name: José Antonio Gallardo Marín
- Date of birth: 31 December 1961
- Date of death: 15 January 1987
- Age at the time of death: 25 years
The guardian of Malaga, José Antonio Gallardo, tragically passed away on 15 January 1987 after suffering a head injury. The incident occurred during a match between RC Celta de Vigo and CD Málaga on 21 December 1986 at Estadio de Balaídos.
According to the team's official website, Gallardo collided with an opposing team's player on the head. He initially received care at the hospital and was allowed to return to the field on 24 December 1987. However, the keeper was rushed to Carlos Haya Hospital two weeks later, where he passed away.
15. Antonio Puerta
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Antonio José Puerta Pérez
- Date of birth: 26 November 1984
- Date of death: 28 August 2007
- Age at the time of death: 22 years
Antonio Puerta's death at age 22 was linked to an arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. The Spanish footballer collapsed during a Primera Liga football match between Getafe CF and his side, Sevilla FC, on 25 August 2007.
After regaining consciousness, he was able to walk from the pitch but collapsed again in the changing rooms. He was rushed to the Virgen del Rocio hospital in critical condition. Three days later, the hospital released a statement through Reuters, saying;
The death was caused by postanoxic encephalopathy and multiple organ failures caused by the prolonged cardiac arrest that provoked his hospital admission.
Who was the football player who almost died on the field?
In soccer, it is common for players to suffer serious medical emergencies on the field, some fatal but others survivable with swift medical intervention. Two prominent cases of near-death experiences in the field involve Christian Eriksen and Fabrice Muamba.
How many football players have died on the field?
According to the FIFA Sudden Death Report, 617 deaths have occurred among football players. While this phenomenon remains relatively rare in sport, medical problems such as cardiac issues are the most common cause. Other fatal causes include trauma from on-field injuries.
Who was the 27-year-old footballer who died on the pitch?
Club Nacional de Football's defender, Juan Izquierdo, died on 27 August 2024, five days after collapsing on the field. His death was linked to a cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.
Football players who died on the field are reported to have succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and fatal injuries. Their unfortunate deaths have forced football federations and teams to improve medical intervention strategies on football pitches.
Legit.ng recently published a list of gruesome injuries that have occurred on football fields across the world. Football, being a contact sport, has seen its fair share of physical risks for its players.
Some of the worst football injuries in history have been fatal, life-altering, and even career-ending. Read on for an extensive list of the worst injuries in football history.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
