With the FIFA World Cup fast approaching, national teams are working through a series of warm-up games. On Sunday, June 7, Denmark suited up against Ukraine as they continued their preparations for the tournament.
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Unfortunately, the game had to be abandoned midway through the second half. Christian Eriksen collapsed during the game while clutching his chest. Erikson, a former Manchester United midfielder, previously suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at the European Championships in 2020.
The Danish Football Association has since released a short statement regarding Eriksen's status.
"Christian Eriksen is conscious and doing well in the circumstances," the statement said. "The match has been called off."
Morten Boesen, a doctor for the Danish team, also shared some insight into the midfielder's current status.
"Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch himself," Boesen said, via The Daily Mail. "As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should. He was briefly unconscious but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him. Now he will be examined further at the hospital to find out what caused the incident. We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But Christian is doing well. He asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was OK."
Christian Eriksen Has Played 17 Seasons of Professional Soccer
Eriksen, 33, has just completed his 17th season as a professional soccer player. He began his career with Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie, the top league in the Netherlands. After spending five seasons with the squad, winning four championships, he moved to the English Premier League, signing with Tottenham Hotspur.
After seven seasons with Tottenham, primarily playing under current Team USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino, Eriksen moved to Italy to play for Inter. He won Serie A during his second season in Italy.
Eriksen has also played for Brentford United, as he proved himself following his cardiac arrest. He then joined Manchester United and now plays for Wolfsburg.
There's currently no telling what his latest collapse means for the future of his career. Of course, that will be at the back of his and his family's mind. Nevertheless, it's unlikely we will see him out on the pitch at the World Cup.
Hopefully, Eriksen makes a full recovery.
I think he would have been better off with Mom. Maybe 2 people would be alive today.