The sudden and tragic death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel—who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest following an on-pitch collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono—has once again plunged the global football community into mourning. Prompting heartfelt reactions from superstars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Raphinha (who remarked, "This could have happened to me"), the incident recalls some of the most heartbreaking on-pitch tragedies in football history.

AFP Sports highlights five previous landmark cases that forever changed medical protocols, player safety, and emergency response standards in professional football:

1. Marc-Vivien Foé (June 2003): The Cameroon midfielder collapsed on the pitch during the Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in Lyon. Despite 45 minutes of frantic medical resuscitation efforts, the 28-year-old passed away due to heart failure. His death revolutionized cardiac screening and mandated CPR and defibrillator training for club medical staff.
2. Antonio Puerta (August 2007): The 22-year-old Sevilla defender collapsed during a La Liga match against Getafe. He passed away three days later due to multiple organ failure caused by prolonged cardiac arrest, inspiring enduring tributes from Spanish teammate Sergio Ramos.