Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel has died at the age of 30, a day after he was hurt in a heavy collision during a Spanish second-division match.
The forward suffered a cardiac arrest after he was struck in the chest by FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in the closing moments of Monday’s game at Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He was treated on the pitch and rushed to hospital, but died at 8am local time on Tuesday, the club said. Spain’s National Police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors will also be involved.
How It Happened?
The match was level at 2-2 and deep into added time when Tenerife played a long ball forward. De Miguel chased it near the halfway line. Owono ran out of his area, all the way to midfield, to try and clear it. The two players met at full speed, and the goalkeeper caught De Miguel in the chest.
De Miguel first went down on his knees, holding his body. A few seconds later, he fell onto his back and lay still.
The referee showed Owono a straight red card. The goalkeeper had started walking off but turned back and joined other players who were waving desperately for medical staff. De Miguel was carried off on a stretcher, and the game was abandoned.
On Tuesday morning, the club confirmed the news no one wanted to hear. “Racked with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe that this is true,” the club said in a statement. “There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can alleviate this feeling overflowing with sadness. We stand alongside his devastated family, alongside his loved ones, alongside all of the tinerfeñismo that today weeps for this cruel outcome.”
Speaking on Tuesday, CD Tenerife president Felipe Miñambres said: “We are all going through very difficult moments now, of sadness and of not believing what happened. “But we’ll go through the mourning all together, and we’ll be with all the people going through this feeling that should make us be more together.”
According to Spanish media, De Miguel leaves behind his wife and their daughter.
Born in Madrid in September 1996, De Miguel spent most of his career in the lower leagues of Spanish football. He made his debut with Leganés B in 2015 and went on to play for eight other clubs, including Unionistas de Salamanca and Castellón. He joined Tenerife in the summer of 2025 on a three-year deal. In his first season, he scored 11 goals in 29 games and helped the Canary Islands club win promotion back to the Segunda Division.
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Tributes poured in from across the sport. Andorra, the club owned by former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, sent its deepest condolences to De Miguel’s family, friends and team-mates.
Real Madrid’s players held a minute of silence at training, and Kylian Mbappé said on social media that there were no words for such sadness. Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool also paid tribute. Espanyol postponed the unveiling of its new coach.
The Spanish football federation called off two Copa del Rey games and one Copa de la Reina game that were set for Tuesday. Players’ union FIFPro said it was deeply saddened. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said the organisation was heartbroken, and every UEFA match this week will start with a minute of silence.
