Quevin Castro, Former West Brom Midfielder, Dies at 25

Former West Brom midfielder Quevin Castro has died at the age of 25 after collapsing during a pre-season match in Portugal.

The Real Sport Clube player fell to the ground in the first half of a friendly against top-flight side Estrela de Amadora at the Estadio das Seixas in Lisbon on Saturday. The game, part of Real’s preparations for the new third-tier campaign, was being played under routine summer conditions. Then everything stopped.

The Lisbon Football Association (AFL) later confirmed that Castro had "passed away this morning during the pre-season friendly", announcing his death in a brief but stark statement that stunned Portuguese football.

At Real Sport Clube, the shock ran deeper. The club described the midfielder as a "beloved member of our sporting family" and paid an emotional tribute.

"Quevin Castro was much more than just a player; he was an integral part of our family, leaving an indelible mark on all those who knew him," the club said, underlining the impact he had made in a short time back in his homeland.

Castro’s journey had taken him far from Lisbon before that return. A product of the Sporting Clube academy, he moved to England and worked his way through the lower leagues, turning out for Cambridge City, York City and Notts County as he tried to carve out a career in the professional game.

His break came in 2021 when West Bromwich Albion signed him. He made his debut in a Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal, stepping into the spotlight at The Hawthorns. A second appearance followed later that season against Swansea, before he headed to Burton Albion on loan in search of regular minutes.

West Brom, where many still remembered his ambition and personality as much as his talent, said they were "devastated" by the news of his death. The club will honour Castro during their Championship fixture against Burnley on Sunday, with players set to wear black armbands and a period of applause planned in the 25th minute – a nod to the age at which his life was cut short.

After several years in England, Castro returned to Portugal last summer, signing for Real Sport Clube and reconnecting with the country where his football story had first begun.

Now that story ends at 25, on a pre-season afternoon in Lisbon, leaving former team-mates, coaches and supporters in two countries to grapple with the same brutal question: how does a game built on joy absorb a loss like this and move on?