Chinese footballer Guo Jiaxuan dies after head injury

Promising Chinese footballer Guo Jiaxuan has died after suffering a serious head injury during training in Spain, local media confirmed Thursday. 

Guo Jiaxuan fell into a coma last month after the training accident during the game between Beijing men’s U-20 team and Spanish side RC Alcobendas in Madrid.

Following the injury, he was declared “brain dead” by a local hospital before being transferred to China for further care.

According to reports, Guo passed away on Wednesday evening at Beijing Tiantan Hospital after his condition deteriorated.

He played for the U-19 team of top-tier Beijing Guoan and was selected for China´s U-17 team in 2023.

Guo died a day short of his nineteenth birthday.

He was also previously included in the FC Bayern World Squad, an annual project run by Germany’s largest club to unearth global talent.

On social media, Guo’s brother posted a black-and-white photo of the young defender with the caption: “He’ll forever be frozen on the last day of his 18th year”.

Last month, he wrote that Guo’s condition showed “no improvement” and the family was “gradually accepting reality”.

Guo’s injury remain unclear and his family have demanded a video footage of the match.