Ronaldo shared a black-and-white image of the Spanish striker on his Instagram Story with a short message in Spanish.
“A tragedy. No words… Lots of strength to the family. May he rest in peace,” the Al Nassr forward wrote, as reported by Goal.
De Miguel had joined Tenerife from Castellón in 2025 and was playing against FC Andorra on Monday evening at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López when the incident occurred. He suffered a cardiac arrest and died the following morning. Tenerife announced his passing on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, at 8am local time.
What happened on the pitch
The collision came in stoppage time with the score at 2-2. De Miguel challenged FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono for a long ball near the halfway line, and Owono’s knee struck the striker’s chest, according to World Soccer Talk. De Miguel collapsed on the pitch and was taken to hospital, where he died the next morning. Owono was shown a straight red card and Spanish police have opened an investigation.
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The club’s statement captured the shock inside the dressing room.
“There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can ease this profound sorrow,” Tenerife said in a statement released on Tuesday.
Messi and Mbappé add their voices
Messi shared his own tribute on Instagram, posting on his account alongside a photograph of the Tenerife striker.
“There are no words… My deepest condolences and lots of strength to his entire family and friends. May he rest in peace,” the Inter Miami forward wrote.
Mbappé followed with a brief message of his own. The Real Madrid striker posted “So much sadness. There are no words,” according to World Soccer Talk.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United were among the clubs to publish tributes through their official channels, and Gerard Piqué, who owns FC Andorra, also sent condolences. UEFA said a minute’s silence would be observed at European club competition matches this week in De Miguel’s memory, Gulf News reported.
Read also: Andorra keeper could face prison under Spanish law after fatal on-field collision
