This is a list of association footballers who died due to football-related incidents.

The primary causes of on-field deaths have evolved over time. Improvements in infection control and emergency surgery since the early days of organised soccer have mostly eliminated the fatal complications that were once common after routine sporting injuries. Squad rotation and substitutes have also reduced the need for seriously ill players to start, or remain in, games, and lifestyle factors are now tightly controlled.

However, deaths from heart failure have increased as the intense pace of the modern game has placed higher demands on players' aerobic conditioning. Following an increase in heart-related deaths, both during matches and training, in 2007 the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) considered mandatory cardiac testing, already in place for years in some countries, such as Italy. By 2009, FIFA pre-competition medical assessment included family history, heart rhythm, sounds, and electrocardiogram results. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) required extensive medical tests, including electrocardiogram and echocardiogram for players in the Europa League 2011–12. Constant monitoring has been advised.

The FIFA Sudden Death Report (FIFA-SDR) was carried out by Saarland University and published in 2020. The report recorded worldwide deaths attributed to sudden cardiac arrest or other unexplained sudden death while playing (or shortly after playing) football from 2014 to 2018. There were 617 cases during the five-year period. In the majority of cases where an autopsy was carried out, the cause of death was coronary heart disease.

Most non-cardiac deaths are the result of blunt trauma to the head or torso, resulting in life-threatening conditions such as intracerebral hemorrhage and peritonitis, caused by colliding with other players, goalposts or stadium architecture. Challenging another player by targeting their body, an important part of soccer for most of the 20th century, is penalised automatically under modern refereeing guidelines, as is "dangerous play" such as playing the ball with a foot above shoulder height. The death of Billy Vigar in 2025, from a collision with a concrete perimeter wall at a non-league ground in London, prompted an English FA review of pitch perimeters at "more than 900" clubs, resulting in an update to the English ground grading criteria to ban "solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches".

As with other forms of outdoor recreation, fatal lightning strikes are a rare but persistent problem, especially at training grounds where there is no stadium structure to draw the lightning away.

List The list includes players who died either during matches or training, or as the result of incidents during matches or training for various reasons, such as injuries, cardiac arrest, natural death, and sometimes for unknown reasons. Death may occur immediately or several days after the injury or fall, but is still directly attributable to football-related activities.

It does not include players who suffered cardiac "death" on the pitch but were successfully resuscitated and survived, such as Fabrice Muamba and Christian Eriksen.

Pre-1900

Date Name Age TeamNotes [ cs ] 19 Star of Leven Died of a ruptured stomach, after receiving a kick in a match against the Lily club of Renton. 23 Preston Rovers During a match against Blackburn Rovers at the latter's Pleasington Cricket Ground, Smith, playing on the right wing, collapsed while running after the ball. Was taken into the Butler's Arms (where the players had their facilities) but expired almost immediately afterwards. An inquest found he had died of natural causes. 23 Owlerton In a friendly against St Philip's in Sheffield, a clearance sent the ball over a stone fence running alongside Dark Lane. Beaumont jumped onto the fence to retrieve the ball, but some stones gave way, causing Beaumont to fall 60 feet to his death into a quarry below. 18 Newtown Died of a cold contracted in a match against Wrexham. 25 Reading Captain of the Reading side which faced Pilgrims at the Reading Cricket Ground. 15 minutes into the game, Rogers called for medical help, stating that that he felt "bilious"; while someone was fetching brandy for him, he intercepted an attack, praised goalkeeper George Fuller for a save, lay down in the area, convulsed, and died. His death was put down to an epileptic fit. 23 Arbroath Gordon, playing in goal for Arbroath against South Western of Glasgow on 25 August, took an accidental kick to the stomach late in the game. He died of a rupture of the liver three days later. 23 Birmingham Southfield Took a knee to the thigh in a match against Aston Trafalgar at Bournbrook. The day after he sought medical assistance, but the doctors found nothing wrong; four days later, he was admitted to hospital with acute blood poisoning, and died. An inquest found the blood poisoning was a result of his footballing injury and returned a verdict of accidental death. 20 Dalmuir Thistle Kneed in the abdomen by M'Aulay of Glen Rangers during a friendly match on 10 October 1885. Medical treatment was not instantly applied in the belief that Anderson was exaggerating his injury. He died "in great agony" at 4 pm the next day. 23 Farnworth Standard On 28 July 1886, playing for Standard in a friendly at Little Hulton F.C., Turner injured himself when charging at Samuel Blakeley of the home side; Turner died the next night of internal injuries. Before dying, Turner made a statement exonerating Blakeley of all blame. 27 Mearns Athletic Kneed in the stomach by Hattrick of Howwood during a Renfrewshire Cup tie on 12 November 1886, and died of the injury the next day. 20 Kidderminster Harriers Took an accidental kick to the stomach in a match at Langley Green Victoria on 20 November, and died of an abdominal injury the next day. An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death. 19 Barrow (Manchester) During a home match with Peel Bank Rovers, Dean took an accidental kick to the stomach from a team-mate, and was carried off in great agony; he died the next day of the effects of a ruptured bowel. 32 Heaton Park Injured in a match against Darwen Old Wanderers on 22 October 1887 when an opponent's knee struck his thigh; the injury turned into an abscess which caused his death two months later. 26 Staveley Ruptured bowel in a match against Grimsby Town led to his death the next day. 23 Redding Athletic Abdominal injury from a kick to the stomach in a friendly against Southfield of Slamannan led to his death three days later. 20 Packington Suffered a blow to the stomach in a match for Packington at Fentham Road against Small Heath reserves on 7 September 1889, when he collided with Richard Hall as both men went for a 50/50 ball. Despite no external sign of injury, Spittle was struck with continual vomiting, and was removed to hospital, where he died on the Monday morning. An inquest returned a verdict of accidental death as no foul had been committed. 24 Everton Athletic Received an injury during a home match against Wigan Central on 22 February 1890; it exacerbated an existing illness, and it caused his death at his mother's home two weeks later. 21 St Mirren Tetanus from fall on piece of glass in a friendly game against Abercorn led to his death ten days later. 23 Culter On 8 October 1892, playing in a friendly against Victoria Rangers of Aberdeen, Wallace collided with an opposing player and fell awkwardly on his knee; he shrugged off the collision and briefly played on, before leaving the pitch and walking home. His condition deteriorated overnight and he died the next morning. Wallace, a paper-maker, was survived by his widow and child. 26 Shrewsbury Town Internal hemorrhage following a bad tackle in a bad tempered match. A verdict of accidental death was returned. 24 Chesterfield Town Rupture of the kidney from a tackle in game against Derby Junction; he died almost three weeks later. 27 Bedminster Suffered severe concussion following a clash of heads in the Gloucestershire Cup semi-final against Eastville Rovers. He continued playing initially, but was eventually forced to leave the game and died from his injury the next morning. 23 Astley Bridge Wanderers Injured playing as half-back for Astley Bridge Wanderers in a match against Cox Green on 9 February. He returned to work as a piecer in a cotton mill, but his injury grew worse, and on 16 February he died, the cause of death being put down to "periostitis or exhaustion". 25 Loughborough Pneumonia while playing. 25 Woolwich Arsenal Blood poisoning and tetanus after breaking his arm in game against Kettering Town. 19 Workington Fisher was part of the Workington team which had won the Cumberland Senior Cup by beating Carlisle City 4–2 in Carlisle on 27 March 1897. As the trophy was being presented, Carlisle supporters threw stones at the Workington side, one of which struck Fisher on the temple, and rendered him bedridden. He died of his injuries 8 months later and a verdict of manslaughter was returned.

1900–1949