Christian Eriksen Expected to Leave Hospital Soon After Collapsing During Denmark Friendly vs Ukraine

Christian Eriksen is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon after collapsing during Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine on Sunday, according to Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen.

The 34-year-old midfielder suddenly went down in the 65th minute at Nature Energy Park in Odense, Denmark, nearly five years after suffering a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening match at Euro 2020.

“I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well,” Boesen said Monday in a statement shared by the Danish Football Association and later reposted on Eriksen’s Instagram story.

“He is with family and in good spirits. The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.”

The friendly between Denmark and Ukraine was later abandoned following the incident.

Eriksen Collapsed Five Years After Euro 2020 Cardiac Arrest

Sunday’s incident immediately brought back memories of June 2021, when Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s European Championship match against Finland in Copenhagen.

Following that incident, Eriksen underwent emergency treatment on the field before being fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device designed to monitor heart rhythm and deliver corrective shocks if necessary.

According to Boesen, the device functioned as intended during Sunday’s scare.

“The pacemaker responded as it should,” Boesen said after the match.

Boesen also revealed Eriksen was briefly unconscious but recovered quickly.

“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him,” Boesen said. “He will now undergo further examination at the hospital to determine what caused the incident.”

Players Quickly Rushed to Eriksen’s Aid

Video circulating on social media showed players from both Denmark and Ukraine immediately surrounding Eriksen after he collapsed, forming a protective ring while medical staff rushed onto the field.

Additional footage later showed players and staff creating a shield around the midfielder as he was taken off the pitch.

Denmark manager Brian Riemer said the frightening moment developed suddenly.

“A few minutes before he fell ill, he had had a tussle with Ruslan Malinovskyi and I thought that was why he looked so distressed, but I was wrong,” Riemer told reporters.

“Christian Eriksen waved to his teammates as he left the pitch.”

“From that moment on, neither I nor the players on the pitch could have carried on with the match.”

Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg praised the reaction from players and medical personnel.

“I turned around and saw Christian on his way to the floor, and we know a little about how he reacts, what that means,” Højbjerg told Danish broadcaster TV2.

“Everyone reacted super-fast and with respect. The most important thing is that Christian is doing well.”

Eriksen Previously Returned to Soccer After Near-Death Experience

Eriksen’s collapse in 2021 nearly ended his career.

After being released by Inter Milan because Italian league rules prevented players with ICD devices from competing, Eriksen returned to professional soccer with Brentford in February 2022, only eight months after his cardiac arrest.

He later revived his career further with Manchester United, where he played until 2025.

Speaking after returning to competition in 2022, Eriksen said he was not worried about continuing to play with an ICD.

“I don’t see any risk, no,” Eriksen previously told BBC Sport. “I have an ICD, if anything would happen then I am safe.”

He also reflected on how close he came to dying during Euro 2020.

“I was gone from this world until they got my heartbeat back,” Eriksen said.

“For me, it was unlucky in a lucky place. I was lucky with the people around me acting so quickly.”

Denmark Provides Positive Update

Boesen said Eriksen personally asked for reassurances to be passed on to teammates following Sunday’s scare.

“He asked me to send his regards to all the players and that he was okay,” Boesen said.

For now, Denmark officials say Eriksen remains under medical evaluation as doctors continue trying to determine exactly what caused the collapse.

Neither Denmark nor Ukraine qualified for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.