
Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen assured fans he's on the mend after collapsing during a June 7 match. The incident comes five years after experienced a cardiac arrest during a soccer game.
By Sabba Rahbar Jun 08, 2026 8:40 PM| Updated 3 minutes ago
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Christian Eriksen is focusing on his recovery.
One day after the Danish soccer star collapsed on the field during a friendly match ahead of the World Cup between Denmark and Ukraine, he is reassuring fans that he is doing well. The terrifying moment came five years after he collapsed during the Euro 2020 match, which resulted in him receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a type of pacemaker.
“I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family,” Eriksen posted to Instagram June 8. “As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021. I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started.”
“I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years,” the 34-year-old added. “Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.”
For now, Eriksen—who shares a son and daughter with his partner Sabrina Kvist Jensen—will keep his focus “on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children.”
Eriksen’s medical emergency stopped the Denmark and Ukraine game in Odense, Denmark on June 7 at the 65-minute mark. He was seen clutching his chest before collapsing on the pitch. Denmark and Ukraine players immediately surrounded him as he was being treated while the crowd began to chant, "Eriksen, Eriksen.” He was ultimately able to walk off the field after receiving medical attention. The game was subsequently canceled.
Ronny HARTMANN / AFP via Getty Images
The incident comes almost five years after the VfL Wolfsburg player suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the pitch in June 2021.
According to Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen, Eriksen was briefly “gone” before being resuscitated.
“We did cardiac resuscitation. It was a cardiac arrest," Boesen shared during a press conference at the time. "We got him back after one defibrillator, so that's quite fast. I'm not a cardiologist, so the details I will leave to the experts at the hospital."
The midfielder was then fitted with his ICD that allowed him to continue his soccer career.
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