This is what the beautiful game is about. 1100 days after suffering a cardiac arrest during an Euro 2020 game, Christian Eriksen scored for Denmark in their UEFA Euro 2024 debut against Slovenia.
Only 17 minutes into the game, the veteran midfielder sent the soccer community wild with an emotional goal that means much more than just a goal. At 32, the Manchester United star has once again inspired the world.
While the goal sent Denmark fans at MHPArena in Stuttgart into a frenzy, it also led to immediate reactions from world soccer on social media. Eriksen’s mere presence on a soccer field is already a huge win, but the fact that he scored in his first European Championship appearance since the scary episode in 2020 is just poetic.
What happened to Christian Eriksen in Euro 2020?
On June 12, 2021, Eriksen collapsed on the field during Denmark’s Euro 2020 debut against Finland in Copenhagen. It was definitely one of the scariest moments soccer fans have witnessed in the last few years.
The Denmark players reacted quickly, forming a human shield to protect their teammate while the paramedics treated him. Eriksen received 13 minutes of CPR and a shock from an automated external defibrillator before being taken to hospital in stable condition.
The distressing scenes saw spectators in tears, with other supporters turning away due to the horrible impact of the situation. Simon Kjaer and Kasper Schmeichel went to comfort Eriksen’s wife Sabrina Kvist, who was crying on the sidelines.
The match was suspended, but both teams showed strength to resume it hours later, knowing Eriksen was already better. Both fanbases chanted for him that day, and fortunately, they eventually got to see the midfielder back on a soccer field. 1100 days later, Christian Eriksen proved that was just a scary episode, scoring the most emotional goal in this European Championship.
