The collision came in the seventh minute of stoppage time at Tenerife's Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium. Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, an Equatorial Guinea international, came out of his goal to clear the ball and met de Miguel near the middle of the pitch. Accounts of the contact differ. Some describe Owono's airborne knee striking de Miguel in the chest and head, while others call it a heavy collision between two players going for a loose ball. Owono was shown a red card for what the match report described as "making a sudden, high-kicking tackle on an opponent using excessive force whilst the ball was in play." De Miguel went down holding his chest and then lay motionless, and Andorra players were among the first to reach him.

He was taken by ambulance to the University Hospital of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. He was first reported to be "stable despite the severity of his condition," then "worsened neurologically" overnight. Spanish media reported that he suffered a cardiac arrest, was resuscitated and was moved to intensive care. One account gives the cause of death as cardiorespiratory arrest brought on by the impact. The reports do not agree on exactly when the cardiac arrest occurred.

Spanish police sources told AFP that an investigation has been opened under judicial supervision, which is standard protocol in such cases.

Tenerife said the club was "racked with pain" and stood with de Miguel's "devastated family," and asked that the family be given privacy. Andorra issued its own tribute, calling the outcome "cruel."

The Royal Spanish Football Federation suspended all football activity scheduled for Tuesday, including Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina matches, and cancelled the Spain Under-21 match against Japan. UEFA announced a moment of silence at every Champions League, Europa League and Conference League match this week. Real Madrid held a minute of silence before its training session, and Espanyol delayed the presentation of its new coach, Eder Sarabia. Condolences came from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Castellón, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, Andorra majority shareholder Gerard Piqué, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Rafa Nadal and David de Gea.

De Miguel began his career at Leganés and played for clubs including Unionistas de Salamanca before joining Tenerife from Castellón in July 2025. He scored 11 goals for Tenerife in the 2025-26 season. Fernando Román, a former teammate at Unionistas, wrote on X: "You were more than a friend... I will never forget you...Rest in Peace." De Miguel is survived by a young daughter, Carla, born in 2025.