FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono was involved in an on-field collision with CD Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel during Monday’s Spanish second-division match in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. De Miguel later suffered a cardiac arrest and died on Tuesday at the age of 30, Reuters reported.

“Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true,” Tenerife said as it announced De Miguel’s death at 8 a.m. on November 3. The club said there were “no words of comfort” that could lessen the sadness and added that his family had asked for “the utmost respect for their privacy during these terrible times.”

Owono, 25, is an Equatorial Guinea international who previously played for Deportivo Alavés and joined Andorra permanently in August after spending the previous season there on loan.

No public statement from Owono had been identified at the time of writing.

Newsweek contacted FC Andorra and CD Tenerife via email for comment on Tuesday.

Who Is Jesús Owono?

Owono was born in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, on March 1, 2001, and moved to Spain during his childhood, Spanish newspaper El Confidencial reported.

He came through Real Sociedad’s youth system and also spent time with Antiguoko. Real Sociedad listed him among its former academy players after the 2016-17 season and had previously described him as being on loan at Antiguoko.

Owono reached Spain’s top flight with Deportivo Alavés, making his LaLiga debut against Real Sociedad in 2022.

Andorra signed Owono on loan from Alavés in July 2025. After that season, the goalkeeper remained with the second-division club, signing a permanent two-year deal in August 2026.

What Happened During the Tenerife Match?

The incident came deep into stoppage time on Monday, November 2, with Tenerife and Andorra tied at 2-2.

De Miguel and Owono came together while contesting the ball near the center circle. De Miguel remained on the ground afterward as players called for medical assistance.

Referee Manuel Ángel Pérez Hernández showed Owono a straight red card. ESPN reported that the referee’s account described the offense as a high challenge using excessive force while the ball was in play.

The match was abandoned as De Miguel received treatment. Medical personnel attended to him on the field for more than five minutes before he was transported to hospital, after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to Reuters.

Tenerife initially said the forward was stable given the seriousness of his condition, but announced early Tuesday that his neurological condition had deteriorated. The club later confirmed his death.

Nothing in the available reporting establishes that Owono intended to injure De Miguel, and the incident occurred while both players were contesting the ball during play.

How Has the Soccer World Responded?

Tributes have come from across Spanish soccer following De Miguel’s death.

FC Andorra said there were “no words to express the sadness of a loss like this,” offering its “deepest condolences” to De Miguel’s family, friends and teammates, as well as the wider CD Tenerife community.

LaLiga expressed its “deep sadness” over his death and offered support to his family and loved ones. The league's president, Javier Tebas also said he was “deeply saddened,” adding: “Today we all share the terrible pain of an irreparable loss.” He offered his “deepest condolences” to De Miguel’s family, loved ones, teammates and club.

Two of Spain’s biggest clubs also paid tribute. FC Barcelona said its “thoughts and support” were with De Miguel’s family, friends and loved ones, while Real Madrid expressed its “condolences and affection” to his family, teammates and club.

Real Madrid later said its players and coaching staff observed a minute’s silence before training at Ciudad Real Madrid in memory of the 30-year-old.

No public statement from Owono himself had been identified at the time of writing. His Instagram account, which was previously available under the handle @1owono, also appeared to have been deleted on Tuesday.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.