Christian Eriksen 'conscious' after another on-field collapse in Denmark match, national team says

Christian Eriksen was conscious and undergoing further tests in the hospital after collapsing on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team on Sunday in a scary scene that had echoes of his cardiac arrest at the European Championship five years ago.

TV footage showed the 34-year-old midfielder clutching his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball action in the 65th minute of Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine at Nature Energy Park in Odense, Denmark.

In the next TV image shown, Erikson was lying on his back on the ground, surrounded by worried-looking players. Ukraine’s coaching staff were seen waving medical personnel onto the field.

Within minutes, the Danish soccer federation sent a post on X saying Eriksen was “conscious and, under the circumstances, doing well.”

A fuller statement by the federation came 10 minutes later, with Denmark team physician Morten Boesen saying: “Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.

“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.”

Boesen said Eriksen “will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident.”

“We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital," Boesen added. "But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was OK.”

The game was officially abandoned by the referee in the 79th minute — with Denmark leading 2-1 and there having been no further play after Eriksen's collapse — after the match official spoke to both coaches and sets of players.

While Eriksen was being treated, there was initially a hush in the crowd before a chant of “Eriksen, Eriksen” went around the stadium.

After the match was called off, players from both teams formed a circle around the two coaches in one half of the field. The coaches were seen talking to the players. The teams then walked around the field to applause from the crowd, with some players visibly upset.

Eriksen, one of Denmark’s greatest ever players, was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the months following his face-forward collapse during Denmark’s opening European Championship group game in 2021, against Finland in Copenhagen.

In that incident that sent soccer into shock, Eriksen was resuscitated during a lengthy period of on-field medical treatment led by Boesen and said he was later informed he was “gone from this world for five minutes.”

Eriksen resumed his professional playing career 259 days later after getting a contract at Brentford in the Premier League. After a spell at Manchester United from 2022-25, he joined German club Wolfsburg in a deal through the 2026-27 season.

In a post on X, Wolfsburg said Eriksen had been taken to Odense University Hospital and that the club was following developments.

“All the best and a speedy recovery, Christian,” Wolfsburg said.

United also released a statement, saying it was “encouraged by Denmark’s update on Christian Eriksen.”

“The club is sending strength and love to Christian and the Eriksen family as we await further news,” United said.

Neither Denmark nor Ukraine have qualified for the World Cup.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Denmark's Christian Eriksen, left, in action with Ukraine's Mykola Matviyenko during an international football game, in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark's Christian Eriksen reacts during the international football match between Denmark and Ukraine, in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

FILE - Wolfsburg's Christian Eriksen applauds to supporters at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg in Dortmund, Germany, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

Denmark's and Ukraine's gather on the pitch after the international friendly soccer match between Denmark and Ukraine was cancelled in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026, after Christian Eriksen has collapsed on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark's national coach Brian Riemer, right, and players of his and Ukraine's team walk on the pitch after the international friendly soccer match between Denmark and Ukraine was cancelled in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026, after Christian Eriksen has collapsed on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark's Lukas Hoegsberg, Albert Groenbaek, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, Adam Daghim, Joakim Maehle, and Rasmus Hoejlund react after Denmark's player Christian Eriksen collapses on the field during the international friendly soccer match between Denmark and Ukraine in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark's and Ukraine's players accompany Christian Eriksen to a waiting ambulance during the international friendly soccer match between Denmark and Ukraine in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026, after Eriksen has collapsed on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Denmark's and Ukraine's players walk on the pitch after the international friendly soccer match between Denmark and Ukraine was cancelled in Odense, Denmark, Sunday, June 7, 2026, after Christian Eriksen has collapsed on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nelly Korda won the 81st U.S. Women's Open on Sunday for her second consecutive major victory, holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot when her final 2 1/2-foot par putt curled perilously around the cup and dropped in.

Korda's first U.S. Open win is the fourth major victory of her career, and she claimed it with a steady 2-under 69 in the final round — but only after her second putt on the 18th green caught the left edge and toured half the circumference of the hole before falling.

The top-ranked Korda put her hand over her open mouth in disbelief before finally laughing at the frightening way she had finished a victory that emphasized her dominance of the sport. She finished at 8-under 269 after sharing the lead with multiple competitors throughout the windy finale of the first Women's Open ever held at 100-year-old Riviera.

“I feel like I’m in a dream,” Korda told the gallery. “I just can’t even explain how much this means to me with all of you here cheering me on.”

Korda made a 9-foot birdie putt on the 17th to break out of a four-way tie for the lead with Lopez, the hard-charging Hull and three-time major champion In Gee Chun. Korda two-putted for par on the 18th, claiming the $2.5 million winner’s share of this Open’s record $12.5 million purse.

The 27-year-old Korda won The Chevron Championship in April, and she had three victories and three second-place finishes in her first seven starts of a spectacular season after going winless in 2025. After a rough opening-round 73 during which she changed out of a pair of Nike shoes given to her by LeBron James, she coolly put together back-to-back 67s to take a share of the lead into the final round.

The leaderboard only separated late on Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.

Four shared the lead late, but only Korda avoided a bogey on the back nine, allowing her to fend off excellent final rounds from England's Hull and Mexico's Lopez, who both narrowly missed out on their first major victories.

Hull began the day three shots back, but she charged into the lead before the wind picked up off the Pacific and led to a roller-coaster finish — for everybody except Korda.

The champion made just three birdies and a bogey, playing steadily and comfortably with her improved competitive mentality. Korda has stressed positivity and steadiness after her inexplicably winless 2025, and it has paid off with one of the most outstanding starts to a season in recent golf history.

Three-time major champion In Gee Chun finished two shots back at 6-under 278, while third-round co-leader Sei Young Kim carded a 1-over 72 to finish at 279.

Hull played her first two rounds at 3 over, squeezing under the cut by one stroke while saying she had been confused by the speed of the greens. The Englishwoman decided to play with all the aggression she could muster Saturday, and she played the final two rounds at 10 under, including Saturday’s low round at 65.

Hull started three groups ahead of the leaders on a sunny Sunday in Pacific Palisades, and she was hunting flagsticks again. She eagled the first hold before briefly seizing the lead with back-to-back birdies after her turn.

Hull’s bogey on the 14th left Lopez, Chun, Kim and Korda all tied for the lead at 7 under. When Kim and Lopez fell back with bogeys, Korda added to her string of nine consecutive pars.

After Hull made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 17th to regain a share of the lead, Korda barely missed a 22-foot birdie putt on the 16th.

Hull ended with a 9 1/2-foot par putt for her 67. A few minutes later, Lopez made her 15-foot putt to join the pack of leaders, but Korda pulled ahead moments later with her comfortable birdie on the 17th.

Korda dropped her approach shot squarely on the 18th green and two-putted to another major victory – but only after a major last-second scare.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/golf

Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda holds up the trophy after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda hits on the third hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda hits on the third hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda walks on the eighth green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)