Denmark and Ukraine meet on the field after the international friendly match between Denmark and Ukraine in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026, was canceled after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field again while playing for the Denmark national team. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
New Delhi: Christian Eriksen has been taken to hospital for further tests after he collapsed during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine on Sunday, raising concerns due to known heart problems he has been suffering from since the 2021 European Championship.
The 34-year-old midfielder appeared to clutch his chest in the 65th minute before falling to the ground. The medical staff rushed to the field while the players of both teams looked on with concern.
The Danish Football Association quickly confirmed that Eriksen was “conscious and under the circumstances is doing a good job.” Team doctor Morten Boysen later provided a more detailed update, saying: “Christian is in good condition and walked off the field on his own.
“As I can see, the pacemaker responded as it should.”“He was unconscious for a short time, but he regained consciousness very quickly, and we got in touch with him quickly.”
The match was stopped due to the reaction of the fans and players
Eriksen was taken to the hospital for tests to determine the cause of the accident. Boysen added: “We are in constant contact with him and the doctors in the hospital, but Christian is in good condition, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he is fine.”
With play not being resumed after the collapse, the referee officially declared the match abandoned in the 79th minute while Denmark was leading 2-1. The stadium fell silent before the fans started chanting “Eriksen, Eriksen.” After the match was cancelled, players from both teams gathered together before leaving the field to applaud, with some emotions clearly visible.
A reminder of his wonderful comeback
The incident brought back memories of the cardiac arrest that Eriksen suffered during Denmark’s opening match in the 2021 European Championship against Finland, when he later revealed that he “left this world for five minutes.” After receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, he made a remarkable return to football with Brentford, later playing for Manchester United and then joining Wolfsburg.Both Wolfsburg and Manchester United have issued messages wishing Eriksen a speedy recovery as they await further updates on his condition.