Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during a friendly match against Ukraine on Sunday and was taken to the hospital, but he was conscious when he left the field. The match in Odense was abandoned following the medical emergency.
The 34-year-old player, who experienced cardiac arrest during a European Championship match in 2021, regained consciousness quickly after the incident. Denmark's national team doctor Morten Boesen said Eriksen was briefly unconscious but recovered rapidly and even walked off the pitch by himself.
"The pacemaker responded as it should," Boesen said after the incident. "Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was okay."
Eriksen will undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the collapse. The Danish Football Association confirmed that he is in good spirits and is expected to be discharged soon.
Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) after his 2021 cardiac arrest. This device is designed to reset the heart after a cardiac event and allowed him to resume his professional career at both club and international level. The device functioned properly during Sunday's incident.
Players from both Denmark and Ukraine formed a protective ring around Eriksen while medics treated him on the field. Medical personnel responded swiftly to the emergency, reflecting football's commitment to player safety in such situations.
Denmark's captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg praised the quick response. "I turned around and saw Christian on his way to the floor," he told Danish broadcaster TV2. "Everyone reacted super-fast and with respect. I can only compliment how much courage those who took care of Christian on the field had. The most important thing is that Christian is doing well."
The former Tottenham and Manchester United midfielder has had a remarkable recovery since his first cardiac arrest. After that 2021 incident, he told the BBC that he remembered everything except the five minutes he was unconscious. He recalled hearing medics in the ambulance mention he had been unconscious for five minutes.
This latest incident occurred during an end-of-season friendly between two nations that did not qualify for the World Cup. The collapse in the 65th minute prompted immediate medical attention and led to the match being called off.
Eriksen's ability to continue playing professional football following such a serious medical condition has been closely monitored by medical staff and football authorities. His case has heightened awareness about cardiac screening and emergency preparedness at football matches across Europe.