Luis el Matador Tejada, the former striker of the Panama national soccer team, passed away this Sunday at the age of 41, as announced by the Panamanian Soccer Federation (FEPAFUT). Tejada, born on March 28, 1982, was playing in a veterans' game when he suffered what appears to be cardiac arrest.
"The Panamanian Football Federation deeply regrets the death of Luis Carlos 'Matador' Tejada Hansell," Fepafut posted on the X social network.
NOTA LUCTUOSA 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/T34vApITJG
— FEPAFUT (@fepafut) January 28, 2024
The Panamanian Football Federation highlighted how the "historic scorer of the Panama national team played fundamental part in the qualification for our first FIFA World Cup 2018 and was synonymous with the development and evolution of soccer in our country," while remembering Tejada's World Cup participation in the 2018 Russia championship, the first Soccer World Cup for which he participated and in which the Central American team qualified.
¡LEYENDA ⚽️!
El número 1️⃣8️⃣ en la selección #PanamáMayor 🇵🇦 siempre fue y siempre será sinónimo de nuestro eterno goleador Luis “Matador” Tejada.
Vuela alto 🕊️ leyenda 🥲, siempre estarás en nuestros corazones ♥️.
😢🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/CJ02bFetOm
— FEPAFUT (@fepafut) January 28, 2024
According to the local Panamanian press, Tejada was playing a veterans' game in San Miguelito, a district in the metropolitan area of the capital, when he began to suffer chest pain, allegedly due to a heart attack, for which he was taken to a clinic where he later died.
"With great sadness, we say goodbye to Luis Carlos 'Matador' Tejada, the legendary scorer of the Panama national team. His legacy in Panamanian football will last forever. May he rest in peace," posted the president of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo.
Con gran pesar, nos despedimos de Luis Carlos 'Matador' Tejada, el legendario goleador de la Selección de Panamá. Su legado en el fútbol panameño perdurará para siempre. Descansa en paz. 🇵🇦🕊️ pic.twitter.com/DFwJv5QiQJ
— Nito Cortizo (@NitoCortizo) January 28, 2024
