By Diogo Jota
Remembering some of the footballers that died while they were still playing professionally.
On the morning of Thursday, July 3, the football world was rocked with news of the tragic passing of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota (28) and his brother Andre Silva (25), who plays for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division.
Jota and Andre were involved in a ghastly motor accident, which claimed their lives. According to reports, they were driving through the Zamora province in Spain to catch a ferry back to England. Jota is survived by his newly wedded wife, Rute, and their three children. It is unclear at the time of writing if Andre had a partner or children.
As the world mourns the untimely demise of the brothers and the tributes continue, we remember other footballers whose lives and careers were cut short by death.
Here’s a list of football players who died while active:
Emiliano Sala (1990–2019)
Emiliano Sala died at 28 on January 21st, 2019, when the small plane carrying him crashed into the English Channel near Guernsey. Sala had just signed with Premier League club Cardiff City from Nantes for a record fee. He was flying from France to his new club when the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft lost contact with air traffic control.
A few weeks later, his body was recovered from the wreckage underwater. The pilot, David Ibbotson, was never found.
Robert Enke (1977–2009)
Robert Enke died by suicide on November 10, 2009, at the age of 32. The German goalkeeper, who had played for the likes of Benfica and Barcelona, was employed by Hannover 96 at the time of his passing.
Enke died by suicide; he stepped in front of a train near his home in Neustadt am Rubenberge. After his death, it was revealed that he had been battling depression following the death of his two-year-old daughter in 2006.
Samuel Okwaraji (1964–1989)
Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji was only 25 years old when he slumped and died in a World Cup qualifying match for Nigeria on August 12, 1989, at the Lagos National Stadium.
He collapsed and died in the 77th minute of the match against Angola. An autopsy revealed he suffered congestive heart failure, likely brought on by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, combined with high blood pressure and an enlarged heart. His heart condition went undiagnosed before his tragic passing.
Okwaraji’s death remains one of the saddest moments in Nigerian football history. On August 12, 2009, a bust was erected in his memory in front of the stadium where he died.
Miki Roque (1988–2012)
Miki Roque died on June 24, 2012, at just 23 years old. He died after more than a year-long battle with cancer at a hospital in Barcelona.
In March 2011, during routine checks, Roque was diagnosed with pelvic cancer and underwent surgery the following day. He battled the disease for more than a year before he died.
Roque was a Real Betis player at the time of his passing. The club commemorated him by retiring his jersey number 26 and chanting his name in the 26th minute of matches.
Davide Astori (1987–2018)
Davide Astori was 31 when he died from cardiac arrest on March 4, 2018. He died in a hotel room in Udine, where Fiorentina were staying, ahead of a Serie A clash against Udinese.
Giorgio Galanti, the team’s doctor at the time, received a one-year suspended sentence for failing to diagnose an arrhythmogenic ventricular cardiomyopathy during Astori’s routine stress tests, as early detection could have saved his life.
Fiorentina and his former club, Cagliari, retired the jersey number 13 to commemorate his untimely passing.
Paul Julius (2004–2024)
Paul Julius was a Nigerian footballer who died following injuries sustained from a car accident on August 20, 2024. He was 20.
The fatal accident happened in Proteas, Famagusta District, Cyprus. The police said Julius was driving on the Paralimni–Protaras road when his car collided with another vehicle driving in the opposite direction.
His club, E.N.P., along with clubs like AEL Limassol and APOEL, put out commiserating statements.
Christian Atsu
Christian Atsu was one of the victims of the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey and Syria on 6 February 2023.
The Ghanaian winger was playing for Hatayspor near Antakya, which was close to the earthquake’s epicentre. What followed was days of uncertainty punctuated by reports claiming that he had been found, alive, before they were debunked.
Search teams discovered his body under the rubble on 18 February, about 12 days later, witnessed by his brother and twin sister. Atsu’s remains were returned to Ghana on February 20th. On March 17th, he had a state-assisted funeral at the Ghana State House, which the president attended.
Cheikh Tiote (1986–2017)
Cheikh Tiote tragically died on June 5, 2017, at the age of 30 from sudden cardiac arrest after collapsing during a training session with Chinese club Beijing Enterprises in Beijing.
The former Newcastle and Elephants star was given a military funeral in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. His number (24) was retired by Beijing Enterprises.
George Baldock (1993–2024)
George Baldock died from drowning on October 9, 2024, aged 31, in a house in Glyfada, Athens. George played for Panathinaikos and the Greek national team at the time of his death.
Marc Vivien-Foe (1975-2003)
Marc Vivien-Foe died on 26 June 2003, during the FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final between Cameroon and Colombia, in Lyon.
He collapsed on the pitch at approximately the 72nd minute. The medical staff attempted to resuscitate him, but he died after 45 minutes.
An autopsy confirmed he died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a congenital thickening of the heart muscle that frequently goes undetected and can trigger sudden cardiac arrest, especially during vigorous exercise.
His death directly led to FIFA overhauling their medical protocols. They implemented mandatory cardiac screening, on-pitch resuscitation training, and defibrillators.
Marc received a state funeral in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Since 2009, Ligue 1 has given the Prix Marc‑Vivien Foé to the best African player in the division.