Uruguayan soccer player Juan Izquierdo, who collapsed on the pitch last week due to cardiac arrhythmia, has died, his club Nacional announced.

The 27-year-old had been under medical treatment since collapsing during the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 against Sāo Paulo at Brazil’s Morumbi Stadium on August 22.

“It is with deepest sadness and shock in our hearts that Club Nacional announces the death of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo,” Nacional wrote on X. “We extend our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional mourns his irretrievable loss.”

Alejandro Domínguez, president of the South American Football Confederation, also sent his condolences to Izquierdo’s family and friends. “South American football is in mourning,” he added.

Sāo Paulo expressed its deep sadness at the news and spoke of a “sad day for football”.

Izquierdo was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital after collapsing last Thursday. The hospital said late Tuesday that Izquierdo suffered “cardiac arrest related to his heart rhythm disorder.”

Doctors at the hospital said on Monday that Izquierdo was suffering from increased intracranial pressure. He had been connected to a ventilator since Sunday and in neurological intensive care since Monday.

Uruguay’s first and second division soccer matches were postponed over the weekend due to concerns about Izquierdo’s health. Sāo Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer ahead of their team’s 2-1 victory over Vitória in the Brazilian league on Sunday.

Izquierdo came on as a substitute for Sebastián Coates at half-time in the Uruguayan club’s match against Sāo Paulo, but the defender fell unconscious to the ground in the 84th minute without coming into contact with another player.

Players from both sides immediately called for medical help. Izquierdo, still unconscious, was taken off the field in an ambulance to the applause of the fans and then treated in the intensive care unit of the Albert Einstein Hospital.

Izquierdo’s professional career began in 2018 at local club Cerro. The following year, he moved to Peñarol, but did not get much playing time. The defender then moved to Montevideo Wanderers.

Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one game and then moved to the local Liverpool club. The defender was one of Liverpool’s best players in the season that led the team to the 2023 Uruguayan league title, the club’s first in more than a century.

Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year, vying for a place in the starting line-up with the experienced Coates, who played for the Uruguayan national team. He played 23 games this year and scored one goal.