A young Chinese footballer, Guo Jiaxuan, has died after suffering a serious head injury during training in Spain, his club announced on Thursday.
Guo, who played for Beijing Guoan’s U-19 team, fell into a coma last month following an accident in a training match between the Beijing men’s U-20 team and Spanish club RC Alcobendas in Madrid.
Doctors in Spain declared him “brain dead” before he was transferred to China for further treatment at Beijing Tiantan Hospital. He passed away on Wednesday evening, just a day before his 19th birthday.
Beijing Guoan confirmed his death in a social media post, stating, “We’ve lost a child who loves football. May Jiaxuan rest in peace!” The club also promised to support his family during this difficult time.
Guo was a rising talent in Chinese football. He played for China’s U-17 team in 2023 and was once part of the FC Bayern World Squad, a program run by German club Bayern Munich to develop young players.
His brother shared a black-and-white photo of Guo on social media with the caption, “He’ll forever be frozen on the last day of his 18th year.”
The exact details of how Guo was injured remain unclear. His family has accused the Beijing Football Association of withholding information and failing to communicate with them. They have demanded video footage of the match, details of his medical treatment before he reached the hospital, and information about his insurance.
Guo’s brother wrote on social media, “We just want the truth and justice.”
In response, the BFA said in a statement on Thursday that they had avoided sharing too much information to “prevent unnecessary interference with medical work and to respect the feelings of the family.”
The association also confirmed they had obtained video footage of the match and had brought in experts to analyze it. “We have made every effort to coordinate medical resources for treatment and meet the needs of his family as much as possible,” the BFA added.
