Denmark footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during his country's international friendly against Ukraine on Sunday. The incident occurred at around 65th minute of the match with Denmark leading 2-1 and the game had to be abandoned.
The Danish Football Association later confirmed that the 34-year-old was conscious and recovering. "Christian Eriksen is conscious and is doing well under the circumstances," the federation said in a statement issued on X.
The incident revived memories of Eriksen's dramatic collapse during Denmark's opening match of the 2021 UEFA European Championship against Finland. On that occasion, he suffered a cardiac arrest and required life-saving CPR before being fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD). He subsequently returned to professional football and resumed his international career.
The visuals captured by the television cameras showed Eriksen clutching his chest seconds before falling to the ground. Concern quickly spread throughout the stadium as players and supporters realised who had collapsed.
Players from both teams immediately formed a protective circle around Eriksen as a medical team attended to him, echoing scenes from the Euro 2021 incident. Unlike the first collapse where Eriksen had to be stretchered off the field, this time he was able to get back to his feet and walk to an ambulance.
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Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg described the moment as deeply unsettling.
Danish team doctor Morten Boesen, who was credited with saving Eriksen's life when he collapsed in 2021, later provided a reassuring update. "Christian is doing well and walked off the field himself. From what I could see, his pacemaker functioned as it should," Boesen told media.
"He was briefly unconscious but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were able to communicate with him almost immediately. He will undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident. We remain in close contact with him and the medical staff. Christian also asked me to tell the players that he is okay," he added.
In 2021, FIFA honoured Boesen and his medical team with the FIFA Fair Play Award at The Best FIFA Football Awards in recognition of their life-saving efforts after Eriksen's collapse during the European Championship.
Neither nation has qualified for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Following the abandonment of the fixture, players and coaching staff from both teams gathered together on the pitch in a show of solidarity.
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