CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel has died aged 30, a day after he suffered a cardiac arrest following a collision with the opposing goalkeeper during a Spanish second division match.
Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, Tenerife's home ground, where the match was played (file photo). Photo: JUAN BLAS tenerife / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Madrid-born forward was injured on Monday, 2 November, in Tenerife's home game against FC Andorra at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López. The club announced his death on Tuesday, 3 November.
- Player: Jesús de Miguel Alameda, 30, striker, CD Tenerife
- Match: Tenerife v FC Andorra, Spanish second division (Segunda División), Monday 2 November 2026
- Incident: collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in added time
- Died: Tuesday 3 November 2026, in hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Match: abandoned with the score at 2-2
What happened
De Miguel came on as a substitute in the 59th minute with Tenerife leading 2-0. Seven minutes into added time, with the score 2-2, a long ball was played forward and Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono rushed out of his area to clear it. Owono's knee appeared to strike De Miguel in the chest, and the goalkeeper was shown a straight red card.
Medical staff treated De Miguel on the pitch for more than five minutes before he was taken by ambulance to the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. He suffered a cardiac arrest and was admitted to intensive care. The club first said he was stable despite the seriousness of his condition, but early on Tuesday reported that his condition had worsened neurologically. He died later that day. The match was abandoned, with players from both sides in tears.
The exact medical cause of death has not been officially disclosed.
Tributes from across football
Tenerife said the club was heartbroken and that there were no words of comfort, and asked for privacy for his family. Spanish media report that he is survived by his wife and daughter. FC Andorra, LaLiga, Barcelona and Real Madrid all sent condolences, and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he was heartbroken. UEFA announced that all its matches this week will begin with a moment of silence.
Tenerife asked to postpone its next league match at Granada, and the Spanish football federation postponed this week's Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina matches. LaLiga president Javier Tebas proposed a joint tribute across both professional divisions.
Police investigation
Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter. Judicial authorities in the Canary Islands said this is routine under Spanish law for any death that is not from natural causes. The chief prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, said criminal proceedings were unlikely because the collision happened during play.
After walking off, goalkeeper Jesús Owono turned back to join team-mates checking on De Miguel. Separately, a lower-league player who shares his surname said he had received racist abuse from people who mistook him for the Andorra goalkeeper.
His career
De Miguel began his career with Leganés B in 2015 and played for eight other Spanish clubs, including Castellón, where he made his professional debut in August 2024 at the age of 27. He joined Tenerife on a three-year contract in 2025. At his family's request, his body will be taken to Navahermosa in Toledo province for burial, with team-mates and club officials attending.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Tenerife's Jesus de Miguel dies after on-field collision with goalkeeper
- Sky Sports: Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel dies after cardiac arrest following collision during a match
- ABC News (Australia): Spanish footballer Jesús de Miguel dies after on-field collision
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