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Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel died on Tuesday as a result of injuries he suffered in a sickening collision with FC Andorra's goalkeeper in a Spanish second division match.The 30-year-old is sadly not a unique case of a player dying either on the pitch or because of an injury sustained during the match.Here are five such fatalities:Marc-Vivien Foe, June 2003Cameroon midfielder Foe collapsed after a heart attack during a Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in Lyon, France.The former Manchester City, West Ham and Lyon player was carried from the pitch as medical staff tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen.After trying to restart his heart for 45 minutes without success he was declared dead, aged just 28.His death prompted improvements in both the testing of footballers for heart problems and the treatment they can receive during matches, including training club medical teams in CPR and using defibrillators.Antonio Puerta, August 2007Spain international Puerta, 22, collapsed while playing for Sevilla in a La Liga match against Getafe and died three days later from multiple organ failure stemming from prolonged cardiac arrest.It was three months after he had helped Sevilla to win the UEFA Cup.Spanish legend Sergio Ramos has a tattoo tribute to Puerta and wore a T-shirt dedicated to him as Spain won the 2010 World Cup."Antonio has always been with me. The next game, I went out on the field with his shirt and for a long time after that, I wore one that was dedicated to him," said Ramos.Phil O'Donnell, December 2007The Motherwell captain died of heart failure towards the end of his side's 5-3 Scottish Premier League win over Dundee United in December 2007.The 35-year-old midfielder collapsed just as he was about to be substituted and was treated for around five minutes on the field before being taken to a waiting ambulance.O'Donnell played for Scotland, Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday during his career and his death caused widespread grief in Scottish football, causing a number of fixtures to be postponed."He was a man among boys in every sense, in his attitude, his professionalism and integrity and sincerity," his manager Mark McGhee said.Cristiano Junior, August 2009The 25-year-old Brazilian, who was then the highest paid footballer in India, collided with the opposing goalkeeper when he scored a goal for his club Dempo 12 minutes from time in the 2004 Federation Cup final in Bangalore.Junior, who had moved to India to earn enough money to build a house for his mother back home, collapsed and was immediately attended to by his Nigerian strike partner Santi Martins.Martins stayed with him until an ambulance whisked him off to hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival having suffered cardiac arrest."The match continued. We played the remaining 12 minutes, received the trophy and were told of Cristiano's death only when we reached the hospital. We broke down, unable to control ourselves," his teammate and club captain Stanley Colaco told the Times of India in 2021.Juan Izquierdo, August 2024The 27-year-old Uruguayan central defender suffered cardiac arrhythmia during his club Nacional's Copa Libertadores last 16 match with Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo FC.Taken to hospital, he died five days later of "cardio respiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia".His second child had only been born 10 days prior to his death. His club described his death as an "irreplaceable loss". 

Al Rayyan Sports Club Thursday officially announced the signing of Serbian international striker Aleksandar Mitrovic from Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal. The high-profile move comes as part of Al Rayyan’s efforts to strengthen their squad ahead of the new football season.In a statement, Al Rayyan expressed their appreciation to Al Hilal and its board of directors, headed by His Highness Prince Nawaf bin Saad Al Saud, for their cooperation in completing the transfer. The club described the deal as a significant step in building a competitive team capable of challenging for top honours.Mitrovic, 29, is considered one of the most prominent goal scorers of his generation. Known for his physical presence, aerial ability, and clinical finishing, the Serbian forward brings with him a wealth of experience from top leagues across Europe and Asia, as well as the international stage.The striker began his professional career at Partizan Belgrade, where he won the Serbian league title. He later moved to Anderlecht in Belgium, shining as the league’s top scorer and helping the club win the Pro League title. Mitrovic then made the switch to England, playing for Newcastle United in the Premier League, before enjoying his most prolific spell at Fulham, where he became the club’s top scorer and played a key role in securing promotion to the top tier.Before joining Al Rayyan, Mitrovic spent a successful stint with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, where he won a domestic treble the Saudi Pro League, the King’s Cup, and the Saudi Super Cup. His individual numbers have been equally impressive across all clubs he has represented.At Al Hilal, Mitrovic scored 68 goals and provided 15 assists in 79 appearances. During his time at Fulham, he netted 97 goals in 173 matches, and he scored 44 goals in 90 games for Anderlecht. On the international stage, he is the all-time leading scorer for the Serbian national team, with 62 goals in 100 appearances.

Superstar striker backs his side to collect more trophies following an exceptional campaign in 2024-25The RSL and King’s Cup champions begin their title defence away to Al OkhdoodSuperstar striker Karim Benzema is calling on Al Ittihad to “achieve even more” as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) champions begin their title defence when the highly anticipated 2025-26 season gets underway this week.Al Ittihad were the dominant domestic team last season, winning the RSL trophy by eight points to reclaim the title they last won in 2023, before claiming a historic double by defeating Al Qadsiah in the Kings Cup final with a 3-1 victory.Benzema scored twice in that final to conclude a phenomenal second season in Saudi football.The legendary French forward scored 25 goals across both competitions, including 21 goals and a further nine assists in the RSL. In addition to the team trophies, Benzema picked up the ultimate individual accolade by being named the Saudi Pro League’s Player of the Season.Reflecting on the success of last season, Benzema said: “I’m very happy finally to have won the league and the cup, which were very important. For me the most important thing is collective trophies. Then, to win an individual award, as I always say, it’s thanks to all my teammates at the club. So, thank you to them, and thank you to the fans as well.“I said before: one way or another, I was going to win in Saudi Arabia. Thanks also to the people who put their trust in me. We won trophies all together. I’m someone who doesn’t give up until I achieve my goals. It was a lot of hard work, so I’m super happy and I hope it continues.”The former Ballon d'Or winner also reserved special praise for Al Ittihad’s supporters, adding: “We’re lucky to have the best supporters in Saudi. Whether at home or away, they’re there.They sing, they push us forward. We always need what’s called the ‘12th man’, the support of the fans. There’s a real connection with the supporters, and we thank them for the trophies by giving everything on the pitch. It’s really important for us to have fans like ours, and I hope we can continue this way.”Benzema and his Al Ittihad teammates are naturally taking plenty of “confidence” from last season’s success into the new campaign. However, the club captain is aware that winning the double again will be more challenging than ever ahead of their season-opener away to Al Okhdood on Saturday.The RSL is the most competitive it’s ever been, with clubs across the Kingdom recruiting top talent to strengthen their squads, while Al Ittihad will also have to balance domestic duties with a return to the AFC Champions League Elite.Asked how Al Ittihad can reach new heights, Benzema said: “You just have to look at what we did last year, take everything we did – all the moments that helped us win those trophies – and achieve even more this year. Because the opponents will be tougher. Teams have strengthened. Now, every team wants to beat Al Ittihad. We need confidence and ambition.“We can’t always predict the future. But what I can say is that we’ll fight until the end and we’ll do everything to win more trophies, which are the most important thing in football. And above all, to bring joy to everyone.”Benzema, one of the greatest strikers in history and a five-time UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid, was one of the headline names to spearhead this new era for Saudi football when he swapped the Spanish capital for Jeddah in 2023.In the two years since, the RSL has solidified its status as the leading league in Asia and made a notable impact on the global stage when Al Hilal reached the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals this summer, which included a statement win over English Premier League giants, Manchester City.Benzema has seen the remarkable progress first-hand and expects a bright future for football in the Kingdom: “The level of football in Saudi is rising every year. There are very good Saudi players, and I think with hard work, and with the arrival of European players and European coaches, Saudi football can rise even higher.”