What is the story about?
Christian Eriksen was conscious and undergoing further tests in the hospital after collapsing on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team
on Sunday in a scary scene that had echoes of his cardiac arrest at the European Championship five years ago. TV footage showed the 34-year-old midfielder clutching his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball action in the 65th minute of Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine at Nature Energy Park in Odense, Denmark.
In the next TV image shown, Eriksen was lying on his back on the ground, surrounded by worried-looking players. Ukraine’s coaching staff were seen waving medical personnel onto the field.Within minutes, the Danish soccer federation sent a post on X saying Eriksen was “conscious and, under the circumstances, doing well.”
A fuller statement by the federation came 10 minutes later, with Denmark team physician Morten Boesen saying: “Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.”
“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.”
Boesen said Eriksen “will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident.”
“We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital,” Boesen added. “But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was OK.”
The game was officially abandoned by the referee in the 79th minute — with Denmark leading 2-1 and there having been no further play after Eriksen's collapse — after the match official spoke to both coaches and sets of players.
While Eriksen was being treated, there was initially a hush in the crowd before a chant of “Eriksen, Eriksen” went around the stadium.
After the match was called off, players from both teams formed a circle around the two coaches in one half of the field. The coaches were seen talking to the players. The teams then walked around the field to applause from the crowd, with some players visibly upset.
Eriksen, one of Denmark’s greatest ever players, was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the months following his face-forward collapse during Denmark’s opening European Championship group game in 2021, against Finland in Copenhagen.
In that incident that sent soccer into shock, Eriksen was resuscitated during a lengthy period of on-field medical treatment led by Boesen and said he was later informed he was “gone from this world for five minutes.”
Eriksen resumed his professional playing career 259 days later after getting a contract at Brentford in the Premier League. After a spell at Manchester United from 2022-25, he joined German club Wolfsburg in a deal through the 2026-27 season.
In a post on X, Wolfsburg said Eriksen had been taken to Odense University Hospital and that the club was following developments.
“All the best and a speedy recovery, Christian,” Wolfsburg said.
United also released a statement, saying it was “encouraged by Denmark’s update on Christian Eriksen.”
“The club is sending strength and love to Christian and the Eriksen family as we await further news,” United said.
Neither Denmark nor Ukraine have qualified for the World Cup.
