Uruguayan football is mourning the sudden death of Bruno Betancor, the 22-year-old forward known by the nickname “Bola”.
Betancor was playing for Deportivo Italiano in Uruguay’s third-tier Primera División Amateur when his death was announced. The club said he had suffered cardiorespiratory arrest but provided no further details about the circumstances.
Club’s heartbreaking message confirms the worst
Deportivo Italiano announced the news in an emotional social-media statement.
“Our player, yes, our player, Bruno Betancor, better known as Bola, has just died after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest,” the club said, as quoted by Infobae in its report on Betancor’s death.
Read also: Serena reveals the truth behind her weight loss
“Bola, you will live on in every goal celebration, in every embrace and in every heart at this club, your club, Deportivo Italiano.”
Betancor had made four appearances and scored twice for Deportivo Italiano during the 2026 season. News of his death prompted tributes from several of his former clubs, including Peñarol, Cerro, Fénix and Everton de Viña del Mar.
Peñarol leads tributes after devastating news
Betancor joined Peñarol’s youth system from Fénix and made his senior debut against Liverpool on March 25, 2023.
He went on to make 14 official appearances for the Montevideo club and was part of the squad that won the 2023 Torneo Apertura.
Read also: Tom Brady for president? NFL icon’s growing profile fuels unlikely theory
“We deeply regret the death of Bruno Betancor, a player who represented our colours during the 2023 season and was part of the squad that won that year’s Torneo Apertura,” Peñarol said, as reported by Cadena SER in its coverage of the tributes.
“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, his friends and Deportivo Italiano, embracing them at this difficult time.”
Cerro said Betancor had represented the club with commitment, while Fénix remembered the forward as a product of its academy. Everton also sent its condolences to his family, friends and former teammates.
Failed Argentina trial ended in controversy
Betancor had recently travelled to Buenos Aires for a trial with Argentine top-flight side Deportivo Riestra.
Read also: AGF warn supporters of five-year prison risk before Poland trip
The forward was not offered a contract after the coaching staff decided against adding him to the squad. His brief stay subsequently attracted attention for an incident away from the pitch.
Club sources told Clarín in its account of the episode that security cameras recorded Betancor removing sportswear belonging to other members of the squad without permission.
Betancor later reimbursed the value of the items. Deportivo Riestra then decided not to file a criminal complaint, bringing the matter to a close.
The episode occurred shortly before his death, but there is no evidence that it was connected in any way to the medical emergency reported by Deportivo Italiano.
Read also: Lidl-Trek’s double threat gathers momentum before Alpine showdown
Promising career is cut tragically short
After leaving Peñarol, Betancor spent part of the 2024 season on loan at Everton de Viña del Mar in Chile. He made seven appearances and scored once, finding the net against Coquimbo Unido.
He later returned to Uruguay with Rentistas before joining Cerro, where he played four matches in 2025.
Betancor subsequently travelled to the United Arab Emirates and spent time with Al Ain’s reserve setup. After returning home, he agreed to join Cerrito but left without making a competitive appearance.
According to La Nación’s review of his short career, Deportivo Italiano became his final club, with the forward scoring twice in just 104 minutes across four appearances.
Read also: LeBron James’ free agency delay linked to two former title teammates
Reports have alternated between the spellings “Betancor” and “Bentancor”. The player was widely known professionally as Bruno Betancor, and that was the spelling used by Deportivo Italiano and several of his former clubs.
His death brings a sudden and painful end to a career that had already taken him from Uruguay to Chile and the Middle East. For Deportivo Italiano and those closest to him, however, the loss extends far beyond football.
