Former Tottenham and Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen experienced another worrying breakdown during Denmark’s cancelled friendly against Ukraine on Sunday night.
Goals from Patrick Dorgu and Joakim Mæhle had given the hosts the lead in Nature Energy Park, but the game was interrupted in the 65th minute and never completed. According to several media outlets, the 34-year-old put his hand on his chest before falling to the ground, while the cameras panned away.
Medical personnel immediately rushed to the Dane’s assistance, while the players gathered around him. The much-loved playmaker has since been taken away in an ambulance with his wife Sabrina by his side.
Immediate health update
Fortunately, Eriksen’s latest health scare seems to have been dealt with much more quickly this time around, and involves fewer risks than the one he experienced five years ago during Euro 2021. The Danish Football Association gave a short update:
“The Danish federation announces that Christian Eriksen is ‘conscious and doing well under the circumstances’. Thoughts and prayers with him.”
Eriksen’s second health scare
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch in June 2021 when Denmark faced Finland in the European Championship. He received cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the field and was rushed to hospital, where he was stabilized.
At the time, he had an implantable defibrillator (ICD) – a type of pacemaker – and he made an incredible comeback to football with Brentford eight months later, despite reports suggesting he had been dead for up to five minutes. Today, he plays for VfL Wolfsburg, who were relegated from the Bundesliga last season.
Neither Denmark nor Ukraine qualified for this year’s World Cup, which means that Eriksen can be considered one of the best – and definitely most respected – footballers not competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Special measures from the federation
The Danish Football Association has introduced special new measures for the players after Sunday’s incident.
The worrying episode happened in the 65th minute of the match in Odense. Eriksen was seen holding on to his chest before the camera cut over to the bench. Concerned teammates immediately called in medical personnel.
Sunday’s incident evoked memories of Eriksen’s first collapse during the 2021 European Championships. The playmaker suffered a cardiac arrest at the time and was lucky to survive. Eriksen later revealed that he “died for five minutes” before being revived.
The national team doctor: “The pacemaker reacted as it should”
National team doctor Morten Boesen suggested that the ICD helped save Eriksen on Sunday.
“Christian is fine and walked off the pitch alone,” he said.
“The way I see it, the pacemaker reacted as it should. He was briefly unconscious, but woke up very quickly, and we quickly got in touch with him. He will now undergo further investigations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident.
Boesen added:
“Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his greetings to all the players and say that he was fine.
Captain Hojbjerg: “You’re in for a shock”
Denmark’s captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg told Danish TV 2:
“It’s a throw-in, and then I go out to the side. I turn around a bit, and I see Christian on his way down to the ground. We know a little about how he reacts and what it means.
“Everyone reacted super quickly and with respect. I can only praise how much courage those who took care of Christian on the pitch had.
“I can’t say much more than that you’re in for a shock, and that the most important thing is that Christian is okay.
“No one goes home alone”
To help the shocked teammates, the Danish Football Association’s director Peter Møller confirmed that special measures have been taken after Sunday’s incident. According to The Sun, he said:
“We have made sure that no one goes home alone. They either go home with parents, family or together as a group.
“I also know that Brian will call every player in the coming days and ask how they are doing and if they need anything.
Denmark is acutely aware of the emotional impact such an incident can have on the players, and has reacted quickly to ensure that the squad receives the support they need.
The Danes failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and will not play in action again until September 24, when they face Norway in the Nations League.
It is currently unclear whether Eriksen, who currently plays for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, will resume his playing career after collapsing for the second time.
