Chinese football rising star Guo Jiaxuan dies at 18, just before 19th birthday following injury in Spain

20th March 2025 – (Beijing) 18-year-old Guo Jiaxuan, a promising defender for Beijing Guoan’s U19 football team, has passed away just hours before what would have been his 19th birthday. Guo fell into a coma on 6th February during a training match in Spain, where he sustained a severe head injury. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries on 19th March at Beijing Tiantan Hospital.

Reports indicate that Guo’s family received notification from the hospital on the morning of his death, informing them that his condition had deteriorated to critical levels. After a series of health complications, the hospital declared that they could no longer provide lifesaving treatment. As the evening unfolded, the situation grew dire, leading to a conversation between medical staff and Guo’s family regarding the futility of continued care. By 8pm, the family made the heart-wrenching decision to cease treatment.

Guo’s brother revealed through social media that by 11 PM, when he arrived at the hospital, Guo had already been moved to the mortuary. He expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the Beijing Football Association (FA) and Beijing Guoan, having sent multiple requests for information following the incident, which were reportedly ignored.

A statement from the Beijing FA acknowledged that medical personnel had provided urgent care at the scene before Guo was airlifted to a neurosurgery hospital, where he was ultimately declared “brain dead.” The family’s calls for transparency regarding the events leading up to Guo’s injury, including access to match footage and information on medical protocols, have yet to be addressed adequately by the football authorities.

Guo, who was also selected for China’s U17 team in 2023 and featured in Bayern Munich’s World Squad initiative, was considered a rising star in Chinese football.

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