Doctors examine rare ‘commotio cordis’ after Tenerife striker dies

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel Almeida died on Tuesday after suffering cardiac and respiratory arrest during a match against Andorra, with a cardiologist saying the incident may have been caused by a rare condition known as “commotio cordis”.

The 30-year-old collapsed after being struck in the chest during Monday’s game. The match was stopped and club medical staff began resuscitation before he was taken by ambulance to the intensive care unit at Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria University Hospital.

Tenerife confirmed his death in a statement issued at 08:00 on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.

“With broken hearts, a lump in our throats and unable to believe what has happened, CD Tenerife announces the tragic death of our player Jesus de Miguel Almeida, which occurred on the morning of Tuesday, 3 November 2026, at exactly eight o’clock,” the club said.

Earlier in the day, Tenerife had told supporters that the player’s neurological condition had deteriorated.

According to Catalan newspaper Sport, cardiologist Araidani Cardenas Leon published a video explaining the possible cause of the cardiac arrest. He said the available evidence pointed towards commotio cordis.

What is commotio cordis?

The condition can occur when a direct, non-penetrating blow to the chest lands at a very precise point in the heart’s electrical cycle.

Cardenas Leon said the impact may happen during ventricular repolarisation, within a time window of no more than 20 milliseconds. That can trigger a fatal disturbance of the heart’s rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation.

The cardiologist said a pre-existing heart condition is not necessary, nor does the blow have to be particularly powerful. Commotio cordis can affect young, healthy athletes with no known cardiac problems and is most often associated with sport.

It may result from being hit by a ball or another hard object, or from a collision with another player. In de Miguel Almeida’s case, the impact came from the right knee of Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

Cardenas Leon also referred to the case of American football player Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest “after receiving a strong blow to his chest during an NFL game”.

He stressed that the immediate response is crucial when such an incident occurs.

“In these cases, the priority must be to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately and use a defibrillator as quickly as possible, at the scene of the incident – directly on the pitch – even before moving the injured person elsewhere,” he said.

Tenerife are scheduled to face CD Badajoz in the Copa del Rey on 4 November 2026 and Mallorca in the Spanish second tier on 8 November 2026.