Tenerife striker dies after match collision

Jesús de Miguel died Tuesday morning at a hospital in Tenerife, Spain, one day after his heart stopped following a collision on the field. The 30-year-old forward for the island club suffered cardiac arrest after being struck by the opposing goalkeeper during a match against FC Andorra.

De Miguel was playing in the final minutes of a 2-2 draw at the Tenerife stadium when the incident occurred. A teammate had cleared a through pass, and De Miguel was moving toward the center of the pitch to chase the ball. The Andorra goalkeeper rushed out of his area and collided with the Spanish striker. De Miguel fell to the ground, curling onto his knees before landing on his back with arms at his sides.

The player had a career that moved through the lower divisions of Spanish football. Born in Madrid in 1996, he began with the Leganés reserve team in 2015 and moved between clubs around the capital. His scoring output peaked in 2023 with Castellón, where his 16 goals helped the team earn promotion to the second division.

After a difficult season in the second tier, De Miguel left the mainland in the summer of 2025 to join Tenerife in the third division. He returned to form quickly, scoring six goals in his first five matches. He finished the season with 11 total goals, helping the blue and white team secure promotion.

De Miguel was a left-footed forward who stood 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was known for battling for aerial balls. He leaves behind a daughter born last year and the child's mother. His family requested that his body be transported to Navahermosa in the province of Toledo for a final farewell.

Former teammate Fernando Román posted on social media that he was devastated. Román described De Miguel as humble and hardworking. "I do not believe you have gone," Román wrote. "You are not just a friend to me. You are family." The Tenerife president, Felipe Miñambres, said the club would unite in grief and give the player the tribute he deserves.

Tenerife officials and players will attend the ceremony in Navahermosa. Miñambres stated that the team and the public will come together around this shared feeling, which will make the group more united.