Germany and Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala lost consciousness during a friendly match against Heidenheim on Tuesday, August 18, according to Sport24.
The 23-year-old player entered the game as a second-half substitute before falling to the turf just a few minutes later.
Musiala regained consciousness and left the field accompanied by medical staff, after which Bayern Munich coaches made a reverse substitution to replace him.
Tuesday's friendly match eventually finished in a 4-2 victory for Bayern Munich.
Second collapse in three days
The incident on August 18 was the second time in three days that Musiala lost consciousness while playing. He previously collapsed on August 15 during a game against RB Leipzig.
Musiala later posted a statement on his Instagram account to address concerns regarding his health.
Diagnosis and Instagram statement
In his social media post, Musiala said he understood that many people were worried about him and explained that he wanted to clear up those fears. He stated that he has been diagnosed with short-term and temporary absence episodes that are easily treatable and are caused by a neurological dysfunction.
The situation mirrors another recent health concern in international football. In June, Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen lost consciousness during a friendly match against Ukraine, five years after surviving a cardiac arrest.
Player profile and team background
Musiala is an attacking midfielder who plays for German club FC Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Bayern Munich is one of Europe's most decorated football clubs, competing at the top level of German domestic football in the Bundesliga.
Both Heidenheim and RB Leipzig are fellow German clubs competing alongside Bayern Munich in top-tier domestic competitions.
Understanding absence episodes
Medical reference sources define absence episodes as brief, temporary lapses of awareness or consciousness caused by transient neurological dysfunction. Such episodes typically last only a few seconds and are managed through standard medical treatment.
In international football, player health monitoring remains a major focus for medical teams following high-profile incidents involving player collapses on the pitch. Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during UEFA Euro 2020 in 2021, eventually returned to professional football after receiving medical treatment and monitoring.
