South American football was in mourning on Tuesday following the death of Uruguayan defender Juan Izquierdo, who collapsed on the pitch from an irregular heartbeat during a Copa Libertadores game last week.
The cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest linked to a cardiac arrhythmia, according to his club Nacional, based on the doctors’ report from the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, with Izquierdo passing away at 9:38 p.m. local time on Tuesday (0038 GMT Wednesday).
Izquierdo’s death was an “irreparable loss,” Nacional said in a post on social media platform X.
The head of South American football association CONMEBOL, Alejandro Domínguez, expressed his condolences to Izquierdo’s club and his family.
“South American football is in mourning,” he said.
Izquierdo made his debut in Uruguay’s first division with Club Atlético Cerro in 2018. He moved to Nacional in 2022.
During his time there, he played 33 games and scored two goals.
São Paulo won the game 2-0 last Thursday and progressed to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores