The world of soccer is expressing concern for one of its brightest stars Linda Caicedo, who collapsed during training at the World Cup in Sydney Australia.
The 18-year-old Colombian was rushed to hospital after she stopped jogging with her teammates and clutched her chest before falling to the ground unconscious for 90 seconds.
Despite being released from hospital afterwards, it is unlikely that she will feature again in this tournament.
🚨World Cup star, 18, grabs her chest and collapses at training in Sydney before being rushed to hospital in an ambulance after losing consciousness
Breakout World Cup star Linda Caicedo may not feature again in the tournament after the Colombian collapsed at training in… pic.twitter.com/mfXcYYQNBr
— DiedSuddenly (@DiedSuddenly_) July 28, 2023
Caicedo’s rise to fame has been nothing short of remarkable, as she conquered a life-threatening health scare at 15 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
After undergoing surgery and six months of chemotherapy, she made a miraculous recovery and returned back onto the field stronger than ever before.
Her inspiring story doesn’t end there though, as just days ago, Linda scored an incredible goal against South Korea at the Sydney Football Stadium that earned her Player of the Match and propelled her career even further into stardom.
However, this sudden collapse has put an abrupt halt to what would have no doubt been a star-studded future for Linda and all eyes are on her recovery process now as we await news on how she is doing.
It’s unclear what caused Linda’s tragic episode but some speculate that it could be due to ‘all the stress and physical demands of a World Cup’, according to a medical staff member from Colombia Football Association (CFA).
It may be likely that these factors combined with fatigue from playing such high level matches over long periods may have taken its toll on Linda’s body which ultimately resulted in this distressing scene caught on video footage.
Luckily for Linda however, it seems like she had plenty of support throughout her battle with ovarian cancer as well as during this recent incident at training.
Teammates immediately gathered around her when they saw her fall while members of CFA staff quickly ran towards them carrying medical kits – all ready and willing to help out if necessary.
Furthermore, Nelson Abadía (head coach) also gave encouraging words when he told Linda “you’re going to come back” which shows that people believe in her potential despite any setbacks along the way.
