Chinese footballer Guo Jiaxuan dies hours before his 19th birthday, after being brain-dead for over a month

Chinese footballer, Guo Jiaxuan, tragically passed away hours before his 19th birthday. At only 18 years of age, Jiaxuan was a promising defender for Beijing Guoan’s U19(Under 19) football team.

Guo went into a coma on February 6, during a training match in Spain, where he sustained a severe head injury. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries on March 19, at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, reported South China Morning Post.

Chinese footballer dies: How the fatal injury occured

Guo Jiaxuan was left brain-dead after suffering a subarachnoid haemorrhage, when he hit his head on another player's knee, during the training match in Spain. Subarachnoid haemorrhage is a form of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain.

The Chinese footballer had been in hospital in Beijing since returning from Madrid, Spain after head injury during the match.

Medical efforts to save Guo Jiaxuan

Reportedly, Guo’s family was notified by the hospital on the morning of his death that his condition had become critical. Following a series of complications, the hospital informed the family that they could no longer provide lifesaving treatment for Jiaxuan.

By 8 PM (local time), the Chinese family finally made the heart-wrenching decision to cease treatment for their son.

Guo's family frustrated over ‘lack of communication’

Guo’s brother later shared on social media that when he arrived at the hospital around 11 PM, his brother had already been moved to the mortuary.

As per a report by Chinese media outlet Dimsum Daily, Guo Jixuan ‘s brother was frustrated over the ‘lack of communication’ from the Beijing Football Association (FA) and Beijing Guoan, despite multiple requests for a footage of his brother’s injury during the training in Spain.

He said that no one from either the BFA or Guoan had returned to see Guo since visiting him on the day of his arrival from Madrid, but that they had “arrived very quickly” after his death, reported SMP.

Beijing Football Association's statement

Following Guo Jiaxuan's death, the Beijing Football Association (BFA) released a statement on social media, stating it was “deeply saddened” and that he was an “outstanding player”.

Guo Jiaxuan's football career

Guo Jiaxuan had been selected for China’s U17 (Under 17) team in 2023. The Chinese footballer was also featured in Bayern Munich’s World Squad initiative, a prestigious German football club, aimed at discovering and developing young talent from around the world. To top it all over, Jiaxuan was considered a rising star in Chinese football, stated Dimsum Daily.