Footballers who have suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch

Football is a sport for top athletes, with players running around at full speed for 90 minutes with only one break in between.

Unlike American sports, football has no timeouts, meaning players fail to get a rest during the game, and their muscles are consistently tested to the limits.

Unfortunately, in rare cases, the strain on the heart muscle can be too much for players, leading to heart attacks on the pitch in front of thousands of fans.

Most have recovered from the serious health crisis, with doctors on hand in seconds at the games. For others, it led to their untimely death at a premature age.

These incidents point out the mental and physical strain on the bodies of professional footballers, who put their bodies on the line every weekend.

Here are some players who have collapsed on a football pitch.

Fabrice Muamba was playing for Bolton Wanderers in an FA Cup Quarter Final clash against Tottenham Hotspur when he collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Muamba would be surrounded by medical assistance, with a defibrillator, for 78 minutes when his heart wasn't beating. Muamba retired at 24, pursuing a career in coaching and media.

In the 72^nd minute of the 2003 Confederations Cup Semi-Final between Cameroon and Columbia, Marc Vivien Foe collapsed with no one around him and was given immediate resuscitation for 45 minutes.

Vivien Foe died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The Cameroonian government awarded him the Commander of the National Order of Valour, and his then club, Manchester City, retired his number 23 jersey.

Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest in Euro 2021 sent shock waves through the world, with millions watching him collapse after receiving the ball from a throw-in against Finland.

Eriksen made a full recovery and has had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator put in place that resets his heart if it were to happen again. The midfielder now plays for Manchester United.

Former Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote left Premier League fans with many moments they will never forget before moving to play in China.

Whilst playing for Beijing Sport University FC, Tiote suffered a cardiac arrest and was declared dead a short time later. Tiote was given a military funeral in his home country of the Ivory Coast.

Antonio Puerta was a left-sided midfielder for Sevilla, who suffered a cardiac arrest in the 77^th minute of a La Liga game against Getafe CF.

Puerta was immediately taken to hospital following the incident, spending three days there with doctors constantly trying to bring him back alive. Unfortunately, aged 22, Puerta died in the hospital.