Following an increase in deaths,
both during matches and training, in 2007 the
International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) considered mandatory cardiac testing, already in place for years in some countries, such as Italy.
By 2009, FIFA pre-competition medical assessment included family history, heart rhythm, sounds, and
electrocardiogram results.
The
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) required extensive medical tests, including electrocardiogram and
echocardiogram for players in the Europa League 2011–12.
Constant monitoring has been advised.
FIFA Sudden Death Report
To further understand the scale of the problem, a study, named the ''FIFA Sudden Death Report'' (FIFA-SDR), was commissioned by FIFA and carried out by
Saarland University
Saarland University (german: Universität des Saarlandes, ) is a public research university located in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German state of Saarland. It was founded in 1948 in Homburg in co-operation with France and is organized in si ...
. It was published in 2020.
The report recorded worldwide deaths attributed to sudden cardiac arrest or other unexplained sudden death while playing (or shortly after playing) football during the period from 2014 to 2018. There were 617 cases during the five-year period. In the majority of cases where an
autopsy
An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
was carried out, the cause of death was
coronary heart disease.
List
The following is an incomplete list of association footballers who died due to football-related incidents.
''Note: This list includes players who died either during matches or training, or as the result of incidents during matches or training for various reasons, such as injuries, cardiac arrest, natural death, and sometimes for unknown reasons. Death may occur immediately or several days after the injury or fall, but is still directly attributable to football-related activities.''
See also
*
Sudden cardiac death of athletes
It remains a difficult medical challenge to prevent the sudden cardiac death of athletes, typically defined as natural, unexpected death from cardiac arrest within one hour of the onset of collapse symptoms, excluding additional time on mechanica ...
*
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome
References
External links
Football deaths at Spartacus Educational- Details of several footballers' deaths up to 1936.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Association football players who died during their careers
Association football players who died while playing
Association may refer to:
*Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal
*Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry
*Voluntary associatio ...
Died while playing
Association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
Association football player non-biographical articles