Tragedy in Spain: Tenerife player Jesús de Miguel suffered severe blows to his head and chest from Andorra’s goalkeeper during a second-division match, before suffering a cardiac arrest on the way to hospital. After a night fighting for his life in intensive care, his club announced his death: “Nothing can ease this immense sadness.”

Jesús de Miguel, Tenerife’s 30-year-old striker, died on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after suffering critical injuries during his side’s match against Andorra in Spain’s second division.

The incident happened on Monday, when De Miguel collided heavily with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, who had come a long way out of his goal and committed a reckless foul on the striker. De Miguel suffered a severe blow to his head and chest, collapsed on the pitch and lost consciousness. The match was stopped and did not resume, with players from both teams visibly distressed by the harrowing scenes.

According to reports, De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way to hospital, and medical staff managed to resuscitate him. On Monday, Tenerife announced that he was in intensive care and that his condition was stable despite the severity of his injuries. Early on Tuesday morning, however, the club reported that his neurological condition had deteriorated. A few hours later came the news of his death.

In a statement, Tenerife said: “With heavy hearts, a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is real, we announce the tragic death of Jesús de Miguel Alameda this morning, 3 November 2026, at 8am.”

The club added: “There are no words of comfort. Nothing can ease this immense sadness. We stand alongside his devastated family, his loved ones and all Tenerife supporters, who are mourning this cruel ending today.” The club said the player’s family had thanked everyone who had sent messages of support and asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.

Reports in Spain say Owono, the goalkeeper involved in the collision with De Miguel, was forced to close his Instagram account after receiving numerous abusive messages. He also faced cries of “murderer” from the stands. It should be noted that, as soon as Owono realised how serious the injury was, he went over to check on De Miguel and was not indifferent to the consequences of the collision.

Spanish media described the goalkeeper as “shattered” by De Miguel’s death: “Owono is finding it extremely difficult to cope with what happened. Clearly, no one could have imagined that anyone would try to hurt an opposing player deliberately. Andorra insist there was no intention to hurt De Miguel. They acknowledge that the goalkeeper’s challenge was mistimed and ended tragically, but stress that there was no malice involved.”

Reports also said Owono wanted to speak to the family before making any public statement: “It is not easy to face an entire stadium calling you a ‘murderer’. Following the events and the fierce backlash he faced, Owono decided to close his Instagram account. He wants to make personal contact with Jesús de Miguel’s family or those close to him when circumstances allow. For him, it is important that this conversation takes place privately first. Only then will he consider speaking publicly.”