Assistant referee Humberto Panjoj collapsed during Tuesday’s Copa América match between Canada and Peru.
Panjoj, 36, was seen lying on the pitch near midfield in first-half stoppage time of Canada’s 1-0 win over Peru, with referee Mario Escobar halting play just as Canada served a set piece into the box.
The broadcast cut to Panjoj, who was prostrate on the field as Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau rushed over to check on him.
Crépeau called for assistance from medical staff to aid the Guatemalan referee.
🔴⚽️ Humberto Panjoj, árbitro asistente del partido Canadá vs Perú, recibe atención médica dentro del terreno de juego
🔴 EN VIVO por #ZonaTUDN en @Vix
📲🇲🇽 https://t.co/M92zoL4gKb #NuestraCopa pic.twitter.com/n1gq4Y4Ld4— Zona TUDN (@Zona_TUDN) June 25, 2024
The Group A clash took place on a particularly hot day at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. A heat index between 105-108 degrees was reported by KMBC, leading to a local heat advisory until 8 p.m. CT. The match kicked off just after 5 p.m. CT, as originally scheduled.
Before the tournament, CONMEBOL released medical regulations relating to the intense summer heat. However, the directives largely related to whether or not a hydration break would be required.
After his side’s 3-1 win over Panama on Monday, Uruguay defender Ronald Araújo was quoted by The Athletic as saying he was substituted at halftime due to dehydration.
One of the asst referees for Peru-Canada is down on the field, he's the sunny side and it's in the 90s pic.twitter.com/VQ50WsCcJH
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 25, 2024
After receiving some treatment on the field, Panjoj was stretchered off.
On Wednesday, CONMEBOL confirmed to Yahoo Sports that Panjoj was “stable” and had been released from a hospital after suffering from dehydration.
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