Christian Eriksen recovers after collapsing during friendly

Danish football star Christian Eriksen is conscious and recovering after collapsing during Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine, an incident that forced the match to be abandoned

The 34-year-old midfielder went down in the 65th minute of the game in Odense after appearing to clutch his chest. Following the medical emergency, referee Sigurd Smehus Kringstad halted the match, which was officially called off in the 79th minute.

Providing an update on Eriksen’s condition, Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen said the player briefly lost consciousness before quickly regaining it.

The incident revived memories of Eriksen’s collapse during Denmark’s match against Finland at the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 in 2021, when he suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the pitch.

Following that episode, Eriksen was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a device designed to regulate heart rhythm. After leaving Inter Milan, he returned to professional football with Brentford before later joining VfL Wolfsburg.

Players from both Denmark and Ukraine rushed to Eriksen’s side after he fell, while the Danish Football Association later reassured supporters that the midfielder was in stable condition.

Boesen revealed that Eriksen was able to leave the pitch on his own and that the implanted device appeared to function as intended.

“Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.

“He 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.

“But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was okay.”

Both Denmark and Ukraine failed to secure qualification for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.