90 minutes of tension for the heart: how World Cup stress can trigger a heart attack
Published on 10/07/2026 - 9:37 GMT+2 The highly anticipated clash between Spain and Belgium promises high drama this Friday, but it also puts back on the table a question...
Published on 10/07/2026 - 9:37 GMT+2
The highly anticipated clash between Spain and Belgium promises high drama this Friday, but it also puts back on the table a question science has been examining for years: Can a football match trigger a heart attack? Studies suggest that the emotional stress of the most intense games can increase the risk of cardiovascular events in vulnerable people, although experts insist that football is not the cause, but a possible trigger.
Passion for football does more than just quicken the pulse. During decisive matches, heart rate, blood pressure and levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol rise significantly. In most healthy fans these changes are temporary and have no consequences. However, in people with existing cardiovascular disease or several risk factors, that spike in stress can be enough to bring on a heart problem.
One of the best-known studies was published after the 2006 World Cup in Germany in the 'New England Journal of Medicine' (source in Spanish). The researchers observed that on the days when the German national team played, the number of emergency admissions for heart problems rose sharply, especially during the most nerve-racking matches. The risk of suffering a cardiovascular event increased by up to 2.7 times compared with other days, a finding that turned that study into a reference point for understanding the impact of sports-related stress.
Since then, various pieces of research have found similar results in international competitions and major sporting events, particularly when matches are decided in extra time, by penalties or keep fans on edge right up to the final whistle.
Smartwatches back it up
The latest research comes from Bielefeld University in Germany, published this year in 'Scientific Reports (source in Spanish)'. The researchers monitored more than 200 fans using smartwatches over several weeks to continuously measure their heart rate and stress levels during football matches.
The study found that high-intensity games caused a clear increase in heart rate and physiological stress, especially among fans who were emotionally most invested in their team. What is more, reactions were far more intense when the match was watched in the stadium than at home.
It is not just the match itself
Cardiologists stress that football rarely acts in isolation. The risk increases when emotional stress is combined with other factors that are common during this kind of occasion, such as heavy alcohol consumption, large meals, smoking, lack of sleep and pre-existing factors such as poorly controlled high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol.
In these cases, the combination of physical and emotional stress can make arrhythmias and hypertensive crises more likely, or even trigger a heart attack in people who already have cardiovascular disease.
Should Spain's fans be worried tonight?
Experts such as Dr José Abellán strike a reassuring note. For the vast majority of spectators, living every second of a Spain–Belgium game poses no danger to their health.
However, people with a history of heart disease should avoid excesses, follow their treatment correctly and not ignore symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, intense sweating or discomfort radiating to the arm or jaw.
Because even though the thrill of football does not cause heart attacks on its own, science has long shown that a match at maximum tension can become the perfect trigger when the heart is already vulnerable.
