By a concerned reader
The following table details 24 known deaths of footballers to have occurred in 2021.
Note – If viewing this page on a mobile phone / tablet please slide the following table to the left to view the circumstances of each death and the source material.
Date | Player | Age | Club | Circumstances |
7 Jan 21 | Alex Apolinário | 24 | Alverca | On 3 January 2021, went into cardiac arrest at the 27th minute of a league match. He was revived after several attempts and taken to the hospital, where he was put in an induced coma and died four days later. – Wikipedia List |
8 Mar 21 | Abdul Rahman Atef | 23 | Al Qanayat | Died while playing a league match against El Rowad.- Swallowed his tongue Wikipedia List |
11 Apr 21 | Dejan Oršuš | 24 | NK Otok | Collapsed during a league match against Radnički after suffering a cardiac arrest, died in the hospital later that same day. Wikipedia List |
18 Apr 21 | Tremaine Stewart | 33 | Portmore United | Stewart collapsed while playing football the morning of the 18th in Spanish town, and despite being rushed to the hospital he died later that day. Wikipedia List |
1 Jun 21 | Giuseppe Perrino | 29 | Parma | Italian Footballer Dies Of Heart Attack During a Memorial Match For His Late Brother Wikipedia List |
22 Jun 21 | Viktor Marcell Hegedüs | 18 | Andráshida SC | Collapsed during a training warm up. Defibrillator was used. Wikipedia List |
16 Jul 21 | Imad Bayumi | 45 | Retired | Suffered from a circulatory collapse during a friendly match Wikipedia List |
23 Jul 21 | Tim Braun | 27 | SV Hamberge (Schleswig-Holstein) | Collapsed and died after a football tournament. – https://www.sportbuzzer.de/artikel/deutschlandweiter-zuspruch-nach-der-tragodie-beim-sv-hamberge/ |
12 Aug 21 | Lee Moses | 29 | Palmerston North Marist FC New Zealand | He suffered chest pains during practice at the central energy trust arena in New Zealand, and died after an unexpected heart attack, leaving behind his partner Tori Batley, 26, and two young children. – https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/300387209/young-father-and-footballer-dies-of-heart-attack-during-training |
16 Aug 21 | Samuel Kalu | 24 | Bordeaux | Pro footballer suffers cardiac arrest during a game News Story |
28 Aug 21 | Alexander Shishmarev | 23 | Krasnaya Zvezda | Alexander Shishmarev, 23, was playing as goalkeeper in a Russian training match when he collided with an opponent, being treated for ‘more than an hour’ before passing away – He swallowed his tongue and suffocated – Wikipedia List |
2 Sep 21 | Dylan Rich | 17 | West Bridgford Colts | A young footballer who died after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest during a match. Wikipedia List |
4 Sep 21 | Jens De Smet | 27 | FCC Filosoof | Drama on Dutch football field, amateur player Jens (27) collapses and dies. Wikipedia List |
10 Sep 21 | Frederic Lartillot | 25 | Association of football veterans of Nurieux-Volognat. | collapses in changing room, passes away due to heart attack after game. https://www.leprogres.fr/culture-loisirs/2021/09/11/deces-d-un-joueur-de-foot-apres-un-match-ses-coequipiers-ont-tout-tente-pour-le-sauver |
25 Sep 21 | Guillermo Arias | 31 | Camaguán FC | In the quarterfinals of the third division tournament Arias collapsed on the field and died of cardiac arrest. Wikipedia List |
1 Oct 21 | Bruno Stein | 15 | FC An der Fahner Höhe | Young goalkeeper and amateur angler Bruno Stein from FC An der Fahner Höhe passed away at the age of 15. Wikipedia List |
3 Oct 21 | Nils de Wolf | 27 | Belgian football club White Star Sombeke | Suffered a heart attack after playing against the Verrebroek. Underwent CPR using a defibrillator, but died at the hospital three days later. – https://new.in-24.com/sport/soccer/215813.html |
4 Oct 21 | Alexander Siegfried | 42 | VfB Moschendorf Germany | Collapsed suddenly and died. – https://www.anpfiff.info/sites/cms/artikel.aspx?SK=10&Btr=95991&Rub=390 |
8 Oct 21 | Benoît Sabard | 49 | SC Massay | With 20 minutes to go before the end of the game, Benoît collapsed. Wikipedia List |
9 Oct 21 | Benjamin Taft | 31 | Captain of SC Großschwarzenlohe | Collapsed from a heart attack after a game and died. https://www.sc-grossschwarzenlohe.de/wir-trauern-um-benjamin-taft/ |
15 Oct 21 | Christophe Ramassamy | 54 | AS Saint Yves | Christophe Ramassamy, a 54-year-old footballer, suffered a fatal heart attack. Barely after 20 minutes of play, he collapsed on the pitch. The emergency services could do nothing to revive him, Wikipedia List |
17 Oct 21 | Joao Santos Alankar | 38 | FC Bruski Brazil | Sudden cardiac arrest in Blumenau in the Santa Catarina Championship and died. https://www.world-today-news.com/former-brusque-player-dies-after-suffering-a-heart-attack-during-game/ |
29 Oct 21 | Mohammad Islam | 30 | Raqiz, Pakistan | Raqiz were playing Millat in the Balochistan provincial commissioner’s cup tournament in Chaman. He collapsed during the game due to a heart attack and died on the way to hospital – https://www.gurualpha.com/news/players-die-of-heart-attack-during-football-match/ |
7 Nov 21 | Neslon Solano | 21 | March1 Club St Antonio, Paraguay | March1 club in Candida Achucarro neighbourhood of San Antonio in Paraguay. Solano played the first half then was taken off for the 2nd but went out to celebrate on the pitch with his team mates at the end of the game when he collapsed. He was taken to Nemby Hospital where he died – https://www.abc.com.py/nacionales |
The following table shows the total number of male cardiovascular football match deaths per year.
The data within the table was obtained from the following –
- https://goodsciencing.com/covid/71-athletes-suffer-cardiac-arrest-26-die-after-covid-shot/
- http://www.solitarius.org/2021/11/16/young-athletes-dropping-everywhere/
- https://peckford42.wordpress.com/2021/12/04/revelation-2021-high-profile-soccer-figures-players-footballers-forcing-conversation-after-three-more-soccer-players-collapse-in-three-days/
- https://stephenc.substack.com/p/5-fold-increase-in-sudden-cardiac