South American football mourned the loss of Uruguayan defender Juan Izquierdo on Tuesday after he collapsed on the pitch during a Copa Libertadores match last week due to cardiac arrhythmia.

The 27-year-old had been under medical treatment since collapsing during Nacional’s match against Brazilian club Sao Paulo on August 22.

Izquierdo fell unconscious to the ground in the 84th minute without coming into contact with another player. He was taken off the field by ambulance and subsequently treated in the intensive care unit of the Albert Einstein Hospital.

A statement from the hospital said Izquierdo died of brain death as a result of cardiac arrest combined with cardiac arrhythmia.

“It is with deep sadness and shock in our hearts that Club Nacional announces the death of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo,” Uruguay’s Nacional wrote on X.

“We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and relatives. The whole of Nacional mourns his irreparable loss.”

The Uruguayan Football Federation said the news was “deeply painful”, while the national associations of Argentina, Peru, Paraguay and Colombia expressed their sincere condolences to Izquierdo’s family and friends.

“South American football is in mourning,” said Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American football confederation CONMEBOL.

Brazilian Football Confederation President Ednaldo Rodrigues said a minute’s silence would be observed at every match organized by the federation on Wednesday.

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