List of association footballers who have died during their careers updated list
Soccer players of a club who died on the field of play or as a result of incidents related to the field of play
In 2007, following an increase in deaths[1] both during matches and during training, the International Football Association (FIFA) made cardiac tests mandatory[2], which some countries like Italy have had for years
In 2009, FIFA's pre-competition medical evaluation included family history, heart rate, sounds, and electrocardiogram (ECG) results.[4] The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) required extensive medical tests, including an ECG and an echocardiogram, for Europa League players in 2011/12.[5] Constant monitoring was recommended
FIFA's sudden death report
To better understand the extent of the problem, a study called the FIFA Sudden Death Report (FIFA-SDR) was commissioned by FIFA and carried out by Saarland University. It was released in 2020.[7] The report chronicled deaths worldwide attributed to sudden cardiac arrest or other sudden unexplained deaths while playing (or shortly after) playing soccer between 2014 and 2018. Over the five-year period, there were 617 cases. In the majority of cases in which an autopsy was performed, the cause of death was coronary artery disease.
List of deceased players
This is a selected list of examples that have been reported in the media of footballers who have died from various causes such as: B. injuries, cardiac arrest, natural causes, and sometimes unknown reasons.
13 January 1889 England William Cropper 26 England Staveley Ruptured bowel in a match against Grimsby Town led to death the next day.
11 January 1892 Scotland James Dunlop 21 Scotland St Mirren Tetanus from fall on a piece of glass in a friendly game against Abercorn led to death ten days later.
12 November 1893 England John Henry Morris 26 England Shrewsbury Town Internal hemorrhage following a bad tackle in a bad-tempered match. A verdict of accidental death was returned.[9]
23 November 1893 England Walter Bannister 24 England Chesterfield Town Rupture of the kidney from a tackle in a game against Derby Junction; he died almost three weeks later.
28 March 1894 England Teddy Smith 27 England Bedminster Suffered severe concussion following a clash of heads in the Gloucestershire Cup semi-final against Eastville Rovers. He continued playing initially but was eventually forced to leave the game and died from his injury the next morning.
25 May 1896 Scotland James Logan 25 England Loughborough F.C. Pneumonia while playing.
29 November 1896 England Joe Powell 25 England Woolwich Arsenal Blood poisoning and tetanus after breaking his arm in game against Kettering Town in 1896.
January 1900 England James Collins England Sheppey United Tetanus caused by on-field injury.[12]
27 August 1902 Wales Di Jones 35? England Manchester City Gashed knee turned septic leading to death.
27 October 1906 England David "Soldier" Wilson 23 England Leeds City Heart attack while playing against Burnley, probably from heavy smoking. He attempted to return to the field of play even when in great pain.
8 April 1907 Scotland Tommy Blackstock 25 England Manchester United Collapsed after heading a ball in a game against St. Helens and died.
January 1908 England Frank Levick 26 England Sheffield United Pneumonia during recovery from collar bone broken playing against Newcastle United on 1 January 1908. Attending Dr Selby of Attercliffe (Sheffield) noted heart failure at 1:40pm on 1 February 1908 at his father's house on 125 Plumpers Road Tinsley Sheffield
29 December 1909 Scotland James Main 23 Scotland Hibernian Fatal stomach injuries during a Christmas Day match in 1909 against Partick Thistle at Firhill on a frost bound pitch, after colliding with a Thistle player, led to death four days later.
19 February 1916 England Bob Benson 33 England Arsenal Burst blood vessel following a wartime game against Reading.
7 January 1921 England Horace Fairhurst 27 England Blackpool Head injury in a league game at Barnsley in December 1920; died as a result of his injury early in the new year.
22 May 1921 Kingdom of Yugoslavia Nikola Gazdić Kingdom of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split Late stage tuberculosis after a game against Građanski Zagreb, Hajduk's greatest rival at the time.
14 November 1921 Scotland Joshua Wilkinson 24 Scotland Dumbarton Goalkeeper who died from peritonitis two days after a game against Rangers.
11 November 1923 England Tom Butler England Port Vale Died from tetanus eight days after fracturing his arm in a match.
13 March 1927 France Georges Le Bidois 26 France Stade Olympique de l'Est During a season-ending match of the Ligue Île-de-France [fr], the goalkeeper Georges Le Bidois received a violent kick at his carotid from Swiss Aron Pollitz of US Suisse Paris, from which he succumbed in the locker room. Upon the announcement of his death, the game was called off
4 April 1927 Belgium Albert Van Coile 27 Belgium Cercle Brugge Perforated bowel after a collision with an opponent. Died one day later.
30 April 1927 England Sam Wynne 30 England Bury Collapsed and died on the field of pneumonia during a match against Sheffield United, although Bury claim it was a cerebral haemorrhage
3 May 1927 Chile David Arellano 24 Chile Colo-Colo Peritonitis after being hit by an opposing player during the match. Shortly after the incident, Arellano was brought to a nearby clinic where he ultimately died.
5 September 1931 Scotland John Thomson 22 Scotland Celtic Injured during an Old Firm match when he dived for the ball and suffered a fractured skull in an accidental collision with Rangers' Sam English. He died that same evening.
17 June 1933 Iceland Jón Kristbjörnsson 22 Iceland Valur A goalkeeper who collided with a striker from KR Reykjavik and suffered a head injury in the last game of the Icelandic League on 13 June 1933. Was taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries on 17 June
1 December 1934 England Sim Raleigh 25 England Gillingham Died after a clash of heads with Brighton & Hove Albion's Paul Mooney in a game, who subsequently retired.
3 December 1934 Czechoslovakia Pfeiferlik Czechoslovakia Union Žižkov Fell and suffered a concussion in a game against Viktoria Žižkov. Died on the way to the hospital
10 February 1935 Republic of Ireland Samuel Beattie[24][25] 28 Republic of Ireland Distillery F.C. Died after a clash of heads after a corner in the 1934–35 FAI Cup quarter-final. Finished the game and went home. Became delirious the same night and was rushed to the hospital due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
5 February 1936 England Jimmy Thorpe 22 England Sunderland When playing as goalkeeper, Thorpe, a diabetic, collapsed into a coma from which he never recovered, attributed to the rough treatment he received on the pitch in a game against Chelsea. His death led to the rule that players were no longer able to kick the ball out of the goalkeeper's arms.
12 November 1936 Peru Jorge Chávez Boza Peru Atlético Chalaco Playing in a friendly match for Atlético Chalaco, Chávez Boza had his femoral artery injured by Víctor Guarderas Lavalle from Alianza Lima. His limb was amputated which later led to his death since having diabetes.
14 May 1939 Norway Asbjørn Rønneberg 17 Norway Hof IL Collapsed with a heart attack during the away game against Ramnes IL. He died within minutes after he was carried off the pitch.
15 May 1941 Netherlands Switzerland Law Adam 32 Netherlands Thor After retirement at the age of 24 due to heart problems in 1933, Adam was playing for Thor against Anasher in Surabaya in the Dutch East Indies on 15 May 1941. He suffered a heart attack which led to his death.
22 March 1946 Peru Isaac Angulo Peru Alianza Lima Collapsed during a friendly match against a saltpeter workers team in Antofagasta, Chile. He died from a possible cardiac arrest.
20 February 1949 West Germany Gustav Fähland West Germany TSV Braunschweig Internal bleeding a few days after a collision with an opposing player in a match between his club TSV Braunschweig (a temporary name for Eintracht Braunschweig) and SV Werder Bremen on 13 February 1949.
1 April 1951 Brazil Mitotônio 35 Brazil Ceará Collapsed during a match. Death attributed to stomach congestion.[30]
4 April 1953 United States John Kirkby 23 Wales Wrexham Collapsed during a match. Death attributed to a cardiac arrest.
14 July 1963 Romania Constantin Tabarcea 26 Romania Petrolul Ploieşti Collapsed during a match. Death is attributed to unusual activity of the thymus gland.
1 November 1966 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Petar Radaković 29 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia NK Rijeka Collapsed during a training session due to a heart ailment and died on the way to the hospital.
25 February 1967 England Tony Allden England Highgate United Struck by lightning during an FA Amateur Cup quarterfinal against Enfield, died the following day.
7 January 1973 Spain Pedro Berruezo 27 Spain Sevilla F.C. Heart attack during a Segunda División match against Pontevedra. He had collapsed in previous matches against Alicante, Sabadell, and Barakaldo. He had received treatment for his condition, but collapsed for the last time at the Estadio Municipal de Pasarón, without ever regaining consciousness
16 December 1973 Portugal Pavão 26 Portugal F.C. Porto Heart attack during a league game.
14 December 1975 Peru Ángel Avilés Peru Deportivo Junín Collapsed on the field after a run with the ball, playing against Atlético Chalaco at the Estadio Nacional del Perú, he previously had heart complications since playing for Colegio Nacional Iquitos. A stadium in Moyobamba was named after him.
18 May 1977 England Tony Aveyard 21 England Scarborough Head injuries received during match.
27 August 1977 Belgium Michel Soulier 27 Belgium Namur Died as a result of an attack in a Belgian Cup away match against Anderlecht at Parc Astrid. Stade Michel-Soulier [fr] in Namur was named in his honor.
30 October 1977 Italy Renato Curi 24 Italy Perugia Heart attack while playing in a Serie A match against Juventus. Perugia's ground is named after him.
21 April 1980 France Omar Sahnoun 24 France Bordeaux Died from a heart attack during a club training.
5 November 1981 Algeria Hocine Benmiloudi 26 Algeria CR Belouizdad Died during the Ligue 1 match against USM Aïn Beïda in Stade 20 Août 1955 (Algiers), from severe food poisoning.
7 March 1982 Brazil Carlos Alberto Barbosa 28 Brazil Sport Died from infarction after fainting in the match against XV de Jaú.
23 September 1984 Netherlands Erik Jongbloed 21 Netherlands DWS Struck by lightning during an exhibition game
Son of Jan Jongbloed, goalkeeper of the Dutch national team in both the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cup Final.
15 January 1987 Spain José Antonio Gallardo 25 Spain CD Málaga Collided with an opponent on 21 December away to Celta de Vigo, underwent emergency surgery, and returned home. Relapsed on 7 January with a cerebral hemorrhage and fell into an eight-day coma before dying.
