CD Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel died this Tuesday at the age of 30, after suffering a severe blow in a collision with Andorra goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, during a Spanish Second Division match played on Monday.

First modification: 11/03/2026 - 15:59 Last modification: 11/03/2026 - 17:01

The footballer had been urgently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital, in Tenerife. The club confirmed his death at 7:00 GMT and expressed its regret for news that shocked Spanish football.

The blow occurred in the last minutes of the game

The accident occurred when De Miguel was trying to control a ball in the center of the field and Owono came out to clear it. The goalkeeper collided with the striker with his leg raised, as recorded by the referee in the match report, and was sent off.

De Miguel was left lying on the grass and received medical assistance. The Spanish press reported that he suffered cardiorespiratory arrest after the blow, from which he was able to be revived. The referee suspended the match and the player was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he remained admitted.

At first, Tenerife reported that the footballer was “stable in serious condition.” However, a statement released early Tuesday morning noted that his condition had “worsened neurologically.”

A career in Spanish football

De Miguel had arrived at Tenerife in the summer of 2025, from Castellón, and contributed to the promotion of the Canarian team to the Second Division. Born in Madrid, he was a recognized striker in the lower categories of Spanish football.

The club expressed its pain in a statement: "There are no words of consolation; there is absolutely nothing to mitigate this feeling full of sadness." He also expressed his support to his family, his loved ones and the Tenerife fans.

Spanish and European football, in mourning

Andorra was one of the first clubs to express their condolences. “With a broken and devastated heart, we want to send our most sincere condolences to the family of Jesús de Miguel, to all his colleagues, friends and CD Tenerife,” the entity published. Gerard Piqué, the club's largest shareholder, also dedicated a message to him: "I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace Jesus."

Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Atlético de Madrid and other teams joined in the expressions of regret. The Spanish Football Federation postponed the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina matches scheduled for this Tuesday, while UEFA decreed a minute of silence in all its matches this week.

Real Madrid also paid tribute to the forward before the training of its first men's team in Valdebebas. Kylian Mbappé wrote on Instagram: "Very sad. There are no words. RIP." Thibaut Courtois and Álvaro Carreras, among other players, shared messages of condolences for the family, their teammates and Tenerife.

The Minister of Sports, Milagros Tolón, also expressed her regret and sent a hug to the club, its players, the coaching staff, the board of directors and the fans in “these difficult moments.”

The Police opened an investigation under judicial supervision

The Spanish National Police opened an investigation into the death of Jesús de Miguel, which remained under judicial supervision, as confirmed to EFE by sources from the provincial police station. The 30-year-old footballer died at the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria Hospital, hours after the collision with the Andorra goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, during the last minutes of the match played on Monday at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium.

Sources from the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands explained that, in the event of a death of unnatural causes, a judicial investigation is opened ex officio. However, the chief prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, considered it “very difficult” for the case to lead to criminal proceedings, since the impact occurred during a match play.

The prosecutor pointed out that, according to the doctrine of the Supreme Court, injuries caused in sports are not usually punishable, unless there is an attack outside of a game situation. To determine if any sanction is appropriate, we will have to wait for the referee's report and the resolution of the Sports Disciplinary Committee, which must evaluate whether there was a dangerous or very dangerous game and whether the hit was intentional.

Sánchez-Jáuregui added that the footballer's family could file a complaint if they did not agree with the conclusions. In that case, the investigation could examine a possible assault resulting in death, although the prosecutor considered that it would be difficult to overcome the classification of less serious reckless homicide. In any case, it would be a hypothesis of unintentional death, the assessment of which will depend on the judicial proceedings.

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