Footballer Bernardo Ribeiro dies after playing amateur game

A 26-year-old footballer named Bernardo Ribeiro took ill and died following a match in Brazil, the Friburguense club said on Sunday.

Ribeiro, a Friburguense player who was on vacation, participated in an amateur match on Saturday in Recreio, a city in Minas Gerais state, and had to be replaced by a substitute when he started feeling ill in the first half, the club said in a statement.

The forward was treated by paramedics on the field and transported to a hospital in Recreio, where he died on Saturday night.

The cause of Ribeiro's death has not been determined, Friburguense said, adding that he may have died from a "sudden illness".

Ribeiro earlier this year played in the Rio de Janeiro regional championship, the second most important tournament in Brazil, with Friburguense, a team based in the city of Nova Friburgo.