18-Year-Old Soccer Star Dies After Head Injury During Game That Left Him in Coma for 7 Weeks

An 18-year-old soccer player has died following a mid-game head injury that left him in a coma for seven weeks, his team announced late Wednesday night.

Beijing Guoan announced on Instagram that the standout defender Guo Jiaxuan died due to the injury he suffered in a game on Feb. 6 against a Spanish club team in Madrid.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you that Guo Jiaqi, a Beijing Guoan Youth Training player, passed away unfortunately on the night of March 19, 2025,” the club wrote on social media, according to an English translation.

“We have lost a kid who loves football, may Jia Yu rest in peace!” the team added. “Thank you to all sectors of the community for their care and help since Guo Jiaqi was injured. The club will continue to do its best to properly handle the aftermath and provide all necessary help and support to Guo Jiaqi’s family.”

Jiaxuan was injured during a “training match” on Feb. 6, according to the German soccer club FC Bayern – a team that Jiaxuan previously played for under the club’s “World Squad,” which “gives talented players from all over the world the chance to showcase themselves for professional football,” according to the team.

Jiaxuan’s injury occurred while he was playing with the Beijing men’s under-20 team in a match against the Spanish club RC Alcobendas in Madrid, according to French media outlet France 24.

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“FC Bayern is mourning the passing of Guo Jiaxuan, the former World Squad player who has died at the age of 18 in his native China,” Jiaxuan’s former soccer club said in a statement Thursday. “He succumbed to the effects of a serious head injury following a tragic accident during a training match in Spain on 6 February. The club’s thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Jiaxuan’s brother wrote on social media that the 18 year old suffered a brain hemorrhage after colliding with another player and hitting his head, according to The South China Post.

The outlet reported Thursday that Jiaxuan’s death came just hours before his 19th birthday, according to his family.