Football: Quevin Castro succumbs to a fatal illness during a friendly match

He had just celebrated his 25th birthday. The player collapsed after 10 minutes of play on Saturday, August 22nd. Despite the rapid intervention of the medical teams, he could not be revived.

Portuguese football is in mourning following a tragedy during a friendly match between Estrela da Amadora (Portuguese First Division) and Real Sport Clube (also known as Real Massamá, a Portuguese Fourth Division team). Ten minutes into the game, Quevin Castro, a Real SC midfielder, collapsed unconscious on the pitch, suffering a cardiac arrest. Despite the immediate intervention of both clubs' medical staff and the use of a defibrillator, resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.

He was rushed to the hospital by emergency services (INEM), where he was officially pronounced dead. The match was immediately suspended. The exact cause of his illness has not yet been revealed.

Born in Portugal but raised in England, Quevin Castro completed part of his training at West Bromwich Albion, the club with which he made his professional debut, notably in a Carabao Cup match against Arsenal.

Having failed to establish himself permanently at the highest level, he went on to play for various English clubs (including stints with Chelsea's U23s, Notts County, and York City) before returning to Portugal this summer to revive his career. "Quevin Castro was much more than just a player; he was an integral part of our family and left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him," Real Sport Clube said in an official statement.

For its part, West Bromwich Albion announced that it would pay tribute to him this Sunday during the match against Burnley, with a minute of applause observed in the 25th minute of the game.