Football is undoubtedly one of the highest-paid professions in the world, but it comes with the risk of various injuries that will affect players' health in the long term. In some cases, on-field disasters can leave long-lasting ramifications on sportsmen's physique, or even lead to fatal outcomes. Over the course of history, football fans have mourned the tragic deaths of many great football players due to heart failure, fatal blows, or other effects.

Maradona needs no introduction. Often regarded as one of the best players in football history, the Argentinian legend played 343 club matches in his career and scored an impressive 159 times despite his position as an attacking midfielder. At the peak of his career, the Napoli icon was known for his impeccable flair with the ball, including ball control, passing, and shooting.

For a majority of Argentinian people, it is Maradona, not Lionel Messi, that is the country's greatest football star. The whole country mourned as he sadly passed away at 60 in Buenos Aires in November 2020. His cause of death was heart failure and pulmonary edema, a result of a long battle with brain injury.

Born on February 25, 1956, Davie Cooper was a football player from Scotland who went on the field as a winger. Along with Kenny Dalglish, Jim Baxter, and Denis Law, he was believed to be the most talented Scottish footballer of all time. Nobody knew what to anticipate when the ball was at his feet.

Unfortunately, the sports star passed away at a hospital in Glasgow in 1995 after a cerebral hemorrhage. Cooper was scheduled to resign from football soon, but as he was making a coaching DVD at Cumbernauld's Clyde's Broadwood Stadium, he fell unexpectedly and the shock was too great for his aging body to endure.

Born on February 19, 1954, Sócrates is a Brazilian footballer who was mostly a midfielder. He was selected to the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in March 2004 not only by the football hero, Pele, but the World Soccer magazine's "100 finest footballers in history" as well. Many of his titles were announced in South American Footballer of the Year in 1993, Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame, and more.

Unfortunately, the Brazilian legend had endured gastrointestinal bleeding caused by cirrhosis of the liver, a disease exacerbated by his addiction to drinking and cigarettes. Food poisoning progressed to septic shock, which resulted in his death on December 4, 2011.

Born on September 8, 1969, Gary Speed was one of the most well-known and inspiring footballers of his era, well celebrated for his thunderous headers throughout his career. As the manager of Wales national team, he was the one to count on when people needed the spark for the national team's turnaround and he could surely pave the way for further growth of the country’s football.

Shockingly, on November 27, 2011, his wife, Louise, discovered his body in the garage of his Cheshire home. The 42-year-old legend found his death by hanging himself and he was believed to have suffered from depression for many years. Until now, people still remember him as one of the greatest figures in this sport.

Born on March 13, 1967, Andrés Escobar was a rising defending football player from Colombia. He participated in matches for the Colombian national team, BSC Young Boys, and Atlético Nacional. The young player was renowned for his disciplined performance and composure on the field.

However, everyone was shocked to learn of Andres Escobar's passing on July 2, 1994. He was assassinated, allegedly in vengeance for scoring his own goal that led to the team's elimination from the competition. Escobar’s funeral attended by over 120,000 people only means that he is one of the most popular dead soccer players in the world

Having dedicated his career to play in the Netherlands and Scotland, Fernando Ricksen was a prominent center midfielder and right back born on July 27, 1976. With Glasgow Rangers, he won two Scottish Premier League crowns, two Scottish cups, and three Scottish league cups over his 19-year career. He also gained two Eerste Divisie titles, which was the Netherlands' second-highest football league.

The sad news came on September 18, 2019, when Ricksen, 43, died six years after being diagnosed with motor neuron disease, a disorder in which neurons transmit electrical signals into muscles, impairing their normal function.

A Cameroonian experienced footballer who played defensive midfield for both his team and his homeland, Marc-Vivien Foe, was born on May 1, 1975. He rose to fame after playing in the French Division 1 and the English Premier League. At French side Lyon, Foe proved himself to be one of the most trustworthy defensive midfielder in the country.

However, when Foe was at his peak, people had to witness a tragedy in front of their eyes. In 2003, when he was playing in the Confederations Cup semi-finals at France's Stade de Gerland, he suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that led to an untimely demise. Although doctors worked tirelessly for 45 minutes to save his life, he passed away in the 72nd minute of the game. His death in 2003 was one of the most mournful incidents on a soccer field at the time.

Born on August 24, 1977, Robert Enke is a professional footballer from Germany whose role was goalkeeping. Throughout his career, he earned eight full international caps for Germany. Because of his talents, he was largely seen as a promising candidate for Germany's number one position in the 2010 World Cup.

However, Robert Enke committed suicide in 2009 after suffering from depression for six years. There are still no specific reports about the reason for his death until now, but rumor has it that the former goalkeeper's death was involved with a railway train. Without a doubt, the 31-year-old sportsman got everyone in shock and until now, people are still missing him.

Antonio Puerta, born on November 26, 1984, is a Sevilla-only professional footballer from Spain. He is mostly a left midfielder but can also play as an offensive left defender. At the peak of his career, Puerta became one of the most beloved and exciting Sevilla player to watch.

It was in 2007 that Puerta blacked out in the 35th minute of a match against Getafe at the Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. He eventually passed away at 14:30 that day in the Virgen del Rocio hospital from post-anoxic encephalopathy and multiple organ failure brought on by the prolonged cardiac arrest. His funeral took place 48 hours after his death, and attendees came to Seville from all around Spain to mourn.

Born on July 20, 1979, Miklós Fehér is a striker on Hungary's national football team was filled by a professional football player, Miklós Fehér, who was born on July 20, 1979. He spent almost 9 years of his youth playing in Portugal, where he worked for four different teams and collected a total of 80 games and 27 goals in the Primeira Liga.

Sadly, on January 25, 2004, the striker passed away to the shock of everyone during a game between Vitória de Guimares and Benfica at Guimares. The reason for death was documented as cardiac arrhythmia brought on by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition affecting the heart muscles.

Pelé was a Brazilian footballer who played as a striker and playmaker from the mid-1950s to 1977. He died of cancer on 29 December 2022 at the age of 82.