Heartbreaking footage from the night Uruguayan soccer player Juan Izquierdo collapsed during a game in Brazil has surfaced, showing the tense moments teammates and opponents frantically waved emergency medics onto the field.
Izquierdo died at the age of 27 days later, according to his Uruguayan club and South American football's governing body.
Game footage from Nacional's match in Sao Paulo shows alarmed players urging an ambulance to drive directly onto the field in the hectic scene. The original broadcast also included the moment Izquierdo stumbled backwards before collapsing.
The club, Nacional, posted a statement on social media saying Izquierdo's death is felt 'in deep pain and impact in our hearts' and 'all Nacional is in grief for his irreplaceable loss.'
South American soccer's governing body also posted a tribute, just days after he collapsed on the field and was rushed to hospital, before the team announced he was in a 'stable condition.'
Players during a recent game in Sao Paulo call for an ambulance to come to Izquierdo's aid
The ambulance drove directly onto the field in a rush to get to the collapsed player
Nacional's defender Juan Manuel Izquierdo poses for the team photo in March
Izquierdo was taken to Hospital Albert Einstein after he collapsed during a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium last Thursday.
The hospital said in a statement late Tuesday that Izquierdo had 'cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.'
In a statement Monday, doctors at the hospital had said Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and under neurological critical care since Monday.
Izquierdo's professional career began in 2018 at local club Cerro. He joined Peñarol the following year, but didn't get much playing time. The defender then moved to Montevideo Wanderers.
His athletic form and sharp tackles caught the attention of Mexico's San Luís in 2021, but he quickly returned to the Montevideo Wanderers.
Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one match and then was transferred to the local Liverpool club.
The defender was one of Liverpool's best players in the campaign that led the team to an Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club's first in more than a century.
An ambulance takes Izquierdo from the field during the Copa Libertadores game in Sao Paulo
Players desperately call for medics after Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the field last week
Nacional announced that he was stable after the game, but he passed away on Tuesday
Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and was vying for a position in the starting lineup with veteran Sebastián Coates, who played for Uruguay's national team. He played 23 matches this year and scored one goal.
Izquierdo was married and had two children - the youngest, a boy, was born earlier in August.
Uruguayan media said Izquierdo's parents and Nacional executives were at the hospital in Sao Paulo.
Uruguay's first- and second-division leagues were postponed at the weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo's health. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer before the team's 2-1 Brazilian league win against Vitoria on Sunday.
Real Madrid star Rodrygo and ex-Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino have also put out tributes
Neymar has since led the tributes to Izquierdo.
In a message on Instagram, Neymar posted a black and white photo of the Izquierdo alongside the message: 'Lot of strengths to the family and friends.'
Real Madrid star Rodrygo has also posted: 'A very sad moment in football.
'I wish Juan Izquierdo's family, friends and team-mates much strength. May God bless them all... my deepest condolences.'
Another Brazil star, Liverpool's former striker Roberto Firmino, wrote on Instagram: 'May the holy spirit of God comfort and console the entire family.'