Tenerife Forward Jesus de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel has passed away at the age of 30 following a severe injury sustained during a Spanish second-division match against FC Andorra on Monday. The forward died in hospital at 07:00 GMT on Tuesday after his health deteriorated.

The incident occurred seven minutes into stoppage time with the match tied at 2-2 at Tenerife's Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. De Miguel suffered head and chest injuries during a heavy collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who had moved toward the centre circle to clear a long ball and whose knee appeared to collide with the striker. De Miguel lay motionless on the pitch before being transported to the hospital by ambulance. Spanish media, including Marca, reported that De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics en route.

Following the collision, the referee issued a straight red card to Owono and abandoned the match. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter. Under Spanish law, any non-natural death automatically triggers a judicial inquiry. Owono has since deactivated his Instagram account.

Tributes and Reactions Across Football

Tenerife expressed deep grief in a statement, offering support to De Miguel's family and loved ones. Tenerife president Felipe Minambres stated that the club's players and their partners will require professional psychological assistance to cope with the tragedy. FC Andorra also issued a statement offering condolences and confirming they are providing psychological support to their own squad and staff. FC Andorra co-owner Gerard Pique expressed his sorrow, alongside tributes from La Liga president Javier Tebas, De Miguel's former club Castellon, and international players including Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Additionally, first-team squads at Real Madrid and Arsenal observed a minute's silence prior to their Tuesday training sessions.

Match Postponements and Career Overview

In response to De Miguel's death, the Spanish football federation postponed Tuesday's scheduled fixtures, including two men's Copa del Rey first-round matches and a women's Copa del Reina fixture between Espanyol and AS Celtas.

Born in Madrid, De Miguel began his career at Leganes in 2015 and featured for several Spanish clubs, including Lugo Fuenlabrada, Internacional Madrid, Union Adarve, Navalcarnero, and Unionistas. He joined Castellon in 2023, scoring 16 goals to help the club secure promotion to the second division. In 2025, he signed a three-year contract with Tenerife, where he scored 11 goals in 29 appearances. De Miguel is survived by his daughter, Carla de Miguel Fernandez, born in 2025.