Denmark's Eriksen during a match on November 22. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong
On the afternoon of the 22nd, Doha Education City Stadium, half an hour before the start of the match between Denmark and Tunisia. The fan gallery suddenly burst into thunderous applause. Looking down the players' tunnel, it turned out that it was Eriksen who entered the green field and he was ready to warm up.
The list shows that Eriksen started this game.
The warrior, who had "died" cardiac arrest for five minutes during the competition, wore a heart defibrillator and stepped into the World Cup, and he wanted to fulfill his dream in Qatar with his brother.
The sun shines on the Hercules Cup model in the center of the field, the golden light is shining, and the big screen of the stadium is introducing the starters - "Denmark, number 10, Eriksen!" "The audience is boiling again.
Chinese fans call him "Eros" because he was born on Valentine's Day in the West, and "God" is God who rides alone as his Savior in times of constant distress.
In the pre-match session, "Eros" led the caddie to enter last, stood and applauded the audience.
Denmark's Eriksen (front right) during a match on November 22. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Dongzhen
This is 30-year-old Erikson's third World Cup trip and he hopes to tell Nordic fairy tales in the Qatari desert.
In the first game of the group stage against Tunisia, the Nordics were widely believed to be inevitable, but in the end, the two teams drew 0-0. As a midfielder, Eriksen played the game and ran aggressively, taking almost all of Denmark's corners and free-kicks, passing 91% successfully and making five key passes.
His long-range shot from the second half almost broke through Tunisia's goal, Denmark's most threatening shot of the game.
After the game, Danish defender Anderson praised Eriksen for bringing "tremendous energy and creativity" to the team: "At the highest level, we need him".
No one would have thought that last summer, his life hung in the balance.
On 12 June 2021, Denmark played Finland in the first round of Group B of the UEFA European Championship group stage. Just near the end of the first half, Eriksen suddenly fell unconscious after receiving the touchline ball without any physical contact and confrontation.
On June 12, 2021, Denmark's Eriksen was escorted off the field by paramedics. Xinhua/Reuters
For about 15 minutes after he fainted, all the medical staff and players on the scene worked together to do every step right to snatch back "Eros" from the hands of death.
After rubbing shoulders with death, Erikson underwent surgery to implant a cardioverter defibrillator. Nine months later, he returned to the national team, coming off the bench in a friendly against the Netherlands and scoring the goal after playing two minutes. This is his second time fighting for his country after 287 days.
In the eyes of others, this life and death experience is already a miracle, and I don't want him to return to the arena.
There is no reason to love
Miracles happen
Source: People's Daily