Christian Eriksen is “conscious and doing well under the circumstances” after collapsing during Denmark‘s friendly match against Ukraine, which resulted in the game being abandoned.
In the 65th minute of the international match held in Odense, Eriksen, 34, appeared to clutch his chest before collapsing. The Norwegian referee, Sigurd Smehus Kringstad, suspended the game in the 79th minute due to the incident involving the VfL Wolfsburg midfielder.
“He was briefly unconscious but recovered quickly,” explained national team doctor Morten Boesen in a statement from the Danish federation.
The former Manchester United and Tottenham player has previously experienced a cardiac arrest, requiring resuscitation on the field during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland in June 2021.
Following that incident, Eriksen received an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator and was able to resume his football career at Brentford in February 2022, just eight months post his previous collapse.
Players from Denmark and Ukraine quickly surrounded Eriksen after he fell in Odense, and the Danish Football Association has since provided an update confirming that “Eriksen is conscious and doing well under the circumstances.”
Doctor Boesen further stated, “Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch independently. The pacemaker appears to be responding properly.”
“He briefly lost consciousness but regained it promptly, allowing us to communicate with him. He will now undergo further tests at the hospital to investigate the incident’s cause. We maintain ongoing contact with him and the hospital staff.”
“Christian is doing well, and he asked me to extend his greetings to all the players and assure them he is okay.”
Eriksen’s club, VfL Wolfsburg, wrote on social media: “We’re thinking of you, Christian,” expressing close communication with the Danish federation.
“Wishing you a smooth and speedy recovery,” the post added.
On X, Tottenham expressed their support: “Our thoughts are with Christian Eriksen and his family. Wishing you a complete and swift recovery, Christian. We stand by you.”
Manchester United, the club Eriksen departed from in 2025, also shared words of encouragement.
“Everyone at Manchester United is relieved by Denmark’s update on Christian Eriksen following today’s abandoned friendly against Ukraine,” their post on X stated.
“The club sends strength and love to Christian and the Eriksen family as we await further news.”
Neither Denmark nor Ukraine qualified for the World Cup.
Following Eriksen’s collapse against Finland in 2021, his teammates formed a protective wall around him to ensure his privacy.
After receiving medical attention for approximately ten minutes, he was transported off on a stretcher. UEFA reported that both teams convened for an emergency meeting before deciding to continue the match. Finland eventually triumphed 1-0, and Eriksen was named man of the match.
The midfielder is widely regarded as one of the finest players in Danish football history. He began his senior career with Ajax before transferring to Tottenham, where he made 305 appearances, netting 69 goals and providing 88 assists.
After joining Inter in 2020, he faced an eight-month hiatus from football following his initial collapse. After a stint at Brentford, he played three seasons with United before moving to his current club, Wolfsburg.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.