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Cause of Death Revealed for 30-Year-Old Soccer Player Who Died Hours After Colliding with Opponent Mid-Game

CD Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel died in the hospital on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 3, hours after the incident the previous day

Jesus de Miguel of Castellon celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during primera RFEF match between Real Madrid Castilla and Castellon at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on March 23, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
Jesús de Miguel during a game on March 23, 2024. Credit : Diego Souto/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • A cause of death has been determined for Spanish soccer star Jesús de Miguel
  • The 30-year-old CD Tenerife forward died in the hospital the morning just hours after he collided with the opposing team’s goalkeeper during a game on Monday, Oct. 2
  • Authorities are investigating De Miguel’s death, as is procedure for all deaths from non-natural causes in Spain

A cause of death has been determined for Jesús de Miguel, the Spanish soccer player who died after he collided with the opposing team’s goalkeeper during a game.

CD Tenerife forward De Miguel, 30, collapsed on the field after FC Andorra’s Jesús Owono crashed into him toward the end of the Monday, Nov. 2, game. The team, based in Spain’s Canary Islands, announced on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that he died in the hospital at about 8 a.m. local time that morning.

The Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (IMLCF) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife’s capital, shared in its preliminary autopsy report that De Miguel died from “accidental chest trauma,” according to local outlets El Día and Canarias7.

Jesus de Miguel of CD Tenerife celebrates after scoring a goal during the Matchday 2 Primera Federacion match against AD Merida in Tenerife
Jesús de Miguel celebrates after scoring a goal during a game on Sept. 6, 2025. Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu via Getty

The IMLCF performed the autopsy after his death on Tuesday, per El Día, and submitted the findings to the Second Investigative Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is overseeing the inquiry into De Miguel’s death, the following day.

Spain’s National Police previously confirmed that an investigation has been opened because deaths from non-natural causes are subject to judicial investigation in the country.

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The game’s referee noted in the match report that Owono used “excessive force” as he and De Miguel competed for the ball, per El Día.

Chest trauma appears to be a “cause consistent with the death” of the forward, the autopsy found, but more test results, including toxicology reports, are still pending, the outlet noted.

The results of medical examinations and data from a CT scan De Miguel received in the hospital will also be submitted to the court, El Día reported.

Fans lay flowers in memory of Jesus de Miguel at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium
Fans leaving tributes to Jesús de Miguel at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López following his death on Nov. 3, 2026. Europa Press Canarias via Getty

The judge is also looking into the medical treatment received by the player after he collapsed, and the events that occurred while he was being transferred to the hospital, amid reports that he suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance.

On Wednesday, the judge authorized the transfer of De Miguel’s body to his parents’ home province of Toledo, about 46 miles southwest of Madrid on the Spanish mainland, El Día reported.

In Tenerife, fans have been leaving tributes outside the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, where De Miguel’s team plays their home games.

Tributes have poured in from across the world of soccer, too. Owono himself said he feels “immense pain” at the loss of De Miguel, while teams including FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have sent their condolences and moments of silence have been held before several games in the days since the player’s death.

Players of FC Barcelona and Aston Villa stand for a minutes silence in memory of Jesus de Miguel, who passed away after a clash during a match
FC Barcelona and Aston Villa players standing for a moment of silence in memory of Jesús de Miguel on Nov. 3, 2026. Pedro Salado/Getty

Samuel Omorodion, who plays for Spain’s national team, displayed a message dedicated to De Miguel under his jersey when he scored for FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, while Argentina’s Nicolas Paz also paid tribute after scoring a goal for Como 1907 in the competition that same evening.

CD Tenerife also announced a memorial event scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, at the team’s stadium.

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“It will be an emotional and heartfelt event on stage, where we have shared his dedication so many times, celebrated his goals, and lived through some of the happiest moments of our recent history,” the team wrote in a statement on Facebook.

“Returning together to this place to pay tribute represents an opportunity to thank him for his contribution to the club and to express the affection that the great Tenerife family has always shown him,” the post read.

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