Denmark star Christian Eriksen ‘doing well’ after collapsing during match against Ukraine

Players were in tears after the veteran, who died for five minutes in a game four years ago, clutched his chest and fell to the ground.

Digital Staff
7NEWS Sport
Christian Eriksen has fans fearful after a scary collapse.
Christian Eriksen has fans fearful after a scary collapse. Credit: Unknown

Christian Eriksen was conscious and undergoing further tests in the hospital after collapsing on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team.

In a scary scene with echoes of Eriksen’s on-field collapse following a cardiac arrest during the European Championship in 2021, TV images showed the 34-year-old clutching his chest with both hands in the 65th minute of Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine in Odense.

In the next TV image shown, Eriksen was on the ground, surrounded by worried-looking players. Ukraine’s coaching staff were seen waving medical personnel onto the field, and the match was later abandoned.

Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.

Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.

Email Us
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

Minutes later, the Danish federation sent a post on X saying Eriksen was “conscious and, under the circumstances, doing well.”

In a fuller statement posted 10 minutes later, Denmark team physician Morten Boesen said: “Christian is doing well and left the field himself. As I see it, the pacemaker is beating as it should.”

After saying Eriksen was briefly unconscious, Boesen added in the statement that he “very quickly regained consciousness, and we were quickly in contact with him”.

“Now he needs to be examined further in the hospital to find out what caused the incident,” the doctor added.

“We are in constant contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to greet all the players and say that he was OK.”

The Game NRL 2026

The match was officially called off by the referee in the 79th minute — with Denmark leading 2-1 — after he spoke to both coaches and sets of players.

Christian Eriksen’s Danish teammates were in tears after his collapse.
Christian Eriksen’s Danish teammates were in tears after his collapse. Credit: AAP

Neither team qualified for the World Cup beginning this week in the US, Mexico and Canada.

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 abandoned, 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’s collapse during Denmark’s opening European Championship group game in 2021, against Finland in Copenhagen, sent football into shock.

One of Denmark’s greatest ever players, he was given lengthy medical treatment before regaining consciousness 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 being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

He played for Brentford and Manchester United before in 2025 joining German club Wolfsburg where he has a contract until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Originally published on 7NEWS Sport

Latest Edition

The Nightly cover for 05-06-2026

Latest Edition

Edition Edition 5 June 20265 June 2026

Pauline Hanson is riding a fresh wave of support. Did she change or did the rest of the country ‘catch up’?