Spanish footballer Jesús de Miguel, a 30-year-old striker for Club Deportivo Tenerife, has died following a tragic on-field accident. The incident occurred during a Spanish second-division league match against FC Andorra on Monday at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium in Tenerife. According to a statement issued by the bereaved club, de Miguel died on Tuesday at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest during the match.
The collision happened during stoppage time, with both teams level at 2-2. Equatorial Guinean goalkeeper Jesús Owono, who had come out of his penalty area to deal with a long ball, violently collided with de Miguel. The player was resuscitated on the pitch before being rushed to the hospital, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries at 8:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The match was permanently abandoned in the 108th minute.
Jesús de Miguel, nicknamed “Demi”, was born on September 21st, 1996, in Madrid. He spent most of his career in the lower divisions of Spanish football before making his debut in professional football with CD Castellón in 2024. During his time at Castellón, he scored 16 goals during the 2023-2024 season, earning recognition as the best player in Group II of the Primera Federación.
De Miguel played for several clubs, including Leganés, Fuenlabrada, Navalcarnero, and Unionistas de Salamanca, before joining Tenerife in 2025. At club level, he contributed to the promotions of Fuenlabrada, Castellón, and Tenerife. During his time at Tenerife, de Miguel won the Primera Federación title in the 2025-2026 season.
The news of de Miguel's death has sparked widespread grief across Spanish football, with several clubs and sporting bodies paying tribute to him. The case of Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foé, who died during a match in 2003, has been recalled as a similar incident. Foé collapsed in the 72nd minute of the Cameroon-Colombia semi-final at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and died despite attempts at resuscitation.
The bereaved family of Jesús de Miguel expressed its profound gratitude for all the support it had received. Club Deportivo Tenerife also released a statement, saying, “There are no words of comfort; nothing can ease such sorrow. We stand alongside his grieving family, his loved ones, and the entire CD Tenerife community, which is today mourning this tragic outcome.”
The death of Jesús de Miguel has sent shockwaves through the football community, highlighting the risks and uncertainties of the sport. The incident will likely lead to renewed discussions about player safety and the measures that can be taken to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Key points
- Jesús de Miguel, a 30-year-old Spanish striker, died after a violent collision during a Spanish second-division league match.
- The incident has sparked widespread grief across Spanish football, with several clubs and sporting bodies paying tribute to de Miguel.
- De Miguel's death recalls the case of Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foé, who died during a match in 2003.
