Soccer Player Juan Izquierdo, 27, Dead After On-Field Collapse

Uruguayan soccer player Juan Izquierdo died Tuesday (August 27) at the age of 27 five days after collapsing on the pitch during a game in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Associated Press reports.

Izquierdo, a center-back defender for Club Nacional de Football of the Copa Libertadores league, died after suffering "cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia," Hospital Albert Einstein said in a statement obtained by the AP . The 27-year-old was transported to the hospital after collapsing in a match against Sao Paulo at Morumbi Stadium last Thursday (August 22).

Nacional shared a statement in Spanish on its social media accounts claiming Izquierdo's death was felt "in deep pain and impact in our hearts" and said the entire club was "in grief for his irreplaceable loss."

Alejandro Domínguez , the president of CONMEBOL, South American soccer's governing body, also issued a statement saying he was "deeply sorry about the early departure of Juan Izquierdo" in a statement obtained by the AP .

“South American soccer is in mourning,” he added.

Uruguay's first- and second-division soccer leagues postponed matches last weekend after Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt showing their support of Izquierdo during their 2-1 Brazilian league win against Vitoria on Sunday (August 25).

“We had days of prayers, union and hope, and today we are in deep sadness with the news of the death of Juan Izquierdo,” the club statement said in a statement obtained by the AP . “Our condolences to family, friends, teammates, Nacional fans and all the Uruguayan people in this moment of grief.”