Jesús de Miguel’s funeral held in Navahermosa

The Spanish football world paid its final respects to Jesús de Miguel on Thursday, November 5, 2026, during a funeral in Navahermosa that united family, teammates, and the highest echelons of the sport in mourning. The 30-year-old forward for CD Tenerife died on Tuesday after suffering a severe head injury during a match, a tragedy that has prompted widespread grief and a coordinated response across Spanish and international football.

Navahermosa: A Town United in Grief

The funeral service, held at the San Miguel Arcángel parish in the small Toledo municipality of Navahermosa, was marked by silence and solemnity. Hundreds of attendees, including de Miguel’s family, fellow players, and prominent figures from Spanish football, gathered to bid farewell. The town, with a population of approximately 3,500, became the center of attention as its streets filled with mourners. Navahermosa was chosen for the service due to the family’s deep roots there; de Miguel’s parents and grandparents were from the area, and the player spent much of his childhood summers and weekends there.

The Tenerife team, visibly emotional, arrived en masse, all dressed in black as a sign of respect. They traveled together from the island and were seen carrying the coffin from the hearse to the church, participating actively in the service. The ceremony concluded with two prolonged rounds of applause from both those inside the church and those gathered outside in the streets. Following the mass, the family and players carried the casket to the local cemetery for the interment.

The mayor of Navahermosa declared three days of official municipal mourning, ordering all flags on public buildings to be flown at half-mast.

A Who’s Who of Spanish Football Attends

Among the attendees were Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the Spanish national team; Rafael Louzán, president of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF); and Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga.

Leaders from Spain’s biggest clubs also made the journey to pay their respects. Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, and Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, CEO of Atlético de Madrid, were present. Pablo Blanco, representing Sevilla, also attended, connecting de Miguel’s passing to the club’s own history of tragic losses, such as those of Antonio Puerta and José Antonio Reyes. Representatives of Andorra also attended the service, a gesture that acknowledged the shared sorrow stemming from the incident that occurred on the pitch.

This gathering of the sport’s establishment was not limited to executives. Many of de Miguel’s former teammates from his days in lower-division football also traveled to Navahermosa. Players from clubs like Navalcarnero, Internacional de Madrid, and Unión Adarve took the day off work to make the trip, showing the personal connections de Miguel forged throughout his career. Juan Mena, a delegate and utility man for Internacional de Madrid, recalled de Miguel’s tenacity during the 2017-2018 season, highlighting the player’s journey from the semi-professional ranks.

Player Suffers Cardiac Arrest on Field

The events leading to the funeral began on Monday, November 2, during a Segunda División match between CD Tenerife and FC Andorra at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In the final moments of the game, de Miguel, a 1.90-meter-tall left-footed forward, collided with the opposing goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, while both players contested a loose ball. The impact was severe, causing de Miguel to suffer a cardiac arrest on the field.

Medical staff on-site immediately attended to him and managed to restore a pulse before he was rushed to the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. He was placed in intensive care but never regained consciousness, ultimately being declared dead on Tuesday, November 3. The match was abandoned immediately after the incident. reported that de Miguel’s father had watched the game on television and witnessed the collision that led to his son’s hospitalization.

The death prompted an outpouring of condolences from across the football world. Clubs, players, and governing bodies expressed their sorrow. The UEFA announced that minutes of silence would be observed in its competitions. The shock extended to players on the pitch as well. Raphinha, a Barcelona forward who is the same age as de Miguel, spoke publicly about his reaction after a match, saying, “Era un jugador de mi edad. No sé si es por eso por lo que me ha afectado aún más. Hoy no he tenido un buen día por esta noticia. Personalmente, me ha tocado enormemente.”

What Comes Next: Homenajes and Investigations

The mourning will continue beyond the funeral. The RFEF, LaLiga, and Liga F have coordinated a series of tributes to be held during all matches played between November 6 and 9. Before kickoff, players from both teams will enter the field wearing special jerseys bearing de Miguel’s number 9 and the message “Siempre en nuestro recuerdo” (“Always in our memory”).

CD Tenerife has also announced a public homage for Saturday, November 7, at 18:00 local time in the Canary Islands (13:00 in mainland Spain). The event will take place at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, the same venue where the fatal incident occurred. The club has declared six days of official mourning and suspended all its sporting activities during this period.

Meanwhile, an official investigation into the circumstances of de Miguel’s death is underway. A judge authorized the transfer of his body to mainland Spain after receiving a preliminary autopsy report, the contents of which have not been made public out of respect for the family. The legal process aims to provide clarity on the tragic event that has left his wife a widow and their young daughter, who is not yet two years old, without a father.

Earlier coverage: Jesús de Miguel funeral held in Navahermosa following match injury

More on this story: Spanish Football Mourns as Hundreds Attend Funeral of Jesús de Miguel

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