Argentina doctors report heart attacks rising during World Cup games

Doctors in Argentina linked World Cup matches to a jump in cardiac emergencies, with one hospital report counting 33 fans who suffered heart attacks during tournament games. Cardiologists in Buenos Aires also described an unusual increase in heart attacks, aortic dissections, chest pain and palpitations as the country’s matches raised the emotional stakes.

A Jujuy cardiologist explained why an Argentina match can provoke a heart attack, pointing to the kind of acute stress that can tip someone with narrowed arteries or other risk factors into an emergency. The pattern has surfaced in medical literature before, including the National Institutes of Health paper Admissions for myocardial infarction and World Cup football: database survey and the 2008 Medscape article Heart Attacks in Soccer Spectators.

The warning is not limited to heart attacks alone. Doctors said they saw heart-related emergencies during Argentina’s World Cup run that also included high blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications, a broader cluster that can strain emergency rooms when fans are glued to high-stakes matches. British scientists found a similar pattern around England’s 1998 World Cup games, reporting that heart attacks increased by 25 percent during that period.

Cardiologists typically advise people with cardiovascular risk to keep medication nearby, avoid overexertion and seek emergency care quickly if chest pain, shortness of breath or other warning signs appear during major sporting events. Those symptoms matter because emotional surges can act as a trigger, especially in older adults and in people already living with heart disease.

The concern lands in a health system already under pressure. In November 2024, Argentine heart health faced a “perfect storm” amid Milei’s austerity, adding another layer of strain to hospitals that could see match-day spikes just as emergency capacity is being tested.