Danish player Christian Eriksen has collapsed on the pitch again, being sidelined ahead of the World Cup

Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during his team’s international friendly against Ukraine on Sunday, forcing the match to be abandoned.

Eriksen, who was playing for Denmark in a friendly, clutched his chest and fell to the ground in the 79th minute, prompting immediate concern among players and officials. Medical staff ran onto the pitch to attend to the midfielder as play was abandoned. The match, when Denmark was leading 2:1 at the time, was subsequently ended.

The Danish FA later confirmed in a statement on social media that Eriksen was conscious and receiving medical attention following the incident. “Christian Eriksen is conscious and doing well under the circumstances,” the federation said, adding that the player had been recalled.

The incident immediately brought back memories Eriksen’s dramatic collapse during Denmark’s opening match at the 2021 UEFA European Championship. The midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the game against Finland in Copenhagen and required life-saving treatment before being taken to hospital.

Medical staff performed CPR on the former Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan playmaker while an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used to restart his heart. The doctors’ quick response was widely credited with saving his life.

At the time, serious concerns were raised as to whether Eriksen would ever be able to resume his professional football career.

However, the 34-year-old has made a remarkable return to sport after undergoing surgery to be fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The device is designed to detect and correct potentially dangerous heart rhythms.

Eriksen continued his career at Premier League club Brentford in 2022 before earning a move to Manchester United later that year. He subsequently joined the German club Wolfsburg, where he currently plays.

The latest incident is likely to spark fresh concern among fans and the football community, although the Danish FA tried to reassure fans by confirming the midfielder was conscious and stable.

Further details regarding the cause of Sunday’s collapse have not yet been released.

Neither Denmark nor Ukraine qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the friendly serving as part of both teams’ preparations for upcoming international matches.

Eriksen remains one of football’s most inspiring comeback stories as he returned to the highest level of the game after surviving a life-threatening cardiac emergency just five years ago.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

07 Jun 2026 23:54 IST