Soccer unites in support for Liverpool after car plows into the team's celebrating fans

Soccer clubs, players and the sport's governing bodies expressed sympathy and support to Liverpool on Monday after a man plowed a car into a crowd of the team's fans who were celebrating its Premier League title success in the city center.

Twenty-seven people — including four children — were taken to the hospital, with two sustaining serious injuries, emergency services said. Another 20 people were treated at the scene.

Soccer united behind Liverpool, the most decorated men’s soccer team in England and a world-famous brand, in an outpouring of messages over social media — including from the club's biggest rivals.

“Our thoughts are with Liverpool FC and the city of Liverpool after today’s awful incident,” Manchester United, historically Liverpool's fiercest opponent, posted on X.

There were similar sentiments from Everton, Liverpool's neighbor on Merseyside, which said: “Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this serious incident in our city.”

The Premier League expressed its shock at the “appalling events" that took place at the end of the team's trophy parade that was attended by hundreds of thousands of scarf-and-flag-waving Liverpool fans.

“We have been in contact with Liverpool FC and have offered our full support following this serious incident,” the league said.

On behalf of the sport's world governing body, FIFA President Gianni Infantino offered thoughts and prayers to everyone affected.

“ Football stands together with Liverpool FC and all fans of the club following the horrific incident,” he said in a post on X.

For all its trophies — including a record-tying 20 English top-flight titles and six European Cups — and success, Liverpool is also a club synonymous with tragedy and distress after being involved in deadly stadium disasters at Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s.

Liverpool's club anthem — “You’ll Never Walk Alone" — was referenced by Kenny Dalglish, its former player and manager, in a post on social media.

“Shocked, horrified and deeply saddened about what happened at the end of the parade today,” Dalglish wrote.

“Our anthem,” he added, “has never felt more appropriate, You'll Never Walk Alone. Your Liverpool family are behind you.”

Jamie Carragher, another former player and now a leading TV commentator, posted on X: “Devastating end to the day………just pray everyone is ok.”

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Crowds greet the Liverpool soccer team during their Premier League winners parade in Liverpool, England, Monday, May 26, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

A police officer speaks with a man at the site of an incident on Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after a car collided with pedestrians during the Premier League winners parade, in Liverpool, England, Monday May 26, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Police and emergency personnel walk next to a tent at the site of an incident on Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after a car collided with pedestrians during the Premier League winners parade, in Liverpool, England, Monday May 26, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)