Soccer world shaken as Venezuela earthquakes kill families of players

The soccer world is mourning after a devastating series of earthquakes in Venezuela left more than 1,700 people dead, including the wife and two children of professional player Lucas Trejo.

Trejo, an Argentine defender who has played in Venezuela since 2023, was at a training session in Caracas when the earthquakes struck late last week. His family - his wife, Yanina, and children Aarón and Ainhoa- were at their home in the coastal city of La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the disaster.

On Sunday, his club, Club Sport Marítimo de La Guaira, confirmed the deaths in a statement.

“Club Sport Marítimo de La Guaira profoundly laments the irreparable loss of the wife and sons of our player Lucas Trejo,” the team wrote. “The deaths occurred on June 24 during the earthquake that shook the entire country.”

According to Trejo’s brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, the player rushed back to La Guaira immediately after the tremors, only to be met with devastation.

“He was emotionally overwhelmed,” Ardiles told CNN Español. “What he found was a horrific scene. He found absolutely nothing of what the building itself had been.”

Trejo reportedly spent days searching through the rubble in hopes of finding his family.

A tragedy affecting the whole soccer community

Trejo’s loss is part of a tragedy that has deeply affected Venezuela’s soccer community. Former Marítimo de La Guaira player Héctor Bello also lost his wife, Andrea, in the earthquakes. According to reports, she died while protecting their infant daughter, who was later found alive by rescue teams.

“I’m going to make sure our baby remembers how wonderful you were, how much you loved her,” Bello wrote in a tribute shared on social media. “I’ll tell her the story of how you saved her.”

The Venezuelan Football Federation also confirmed the death of 18-year-old Yimvert Berroterán, a rising talent who had represented the country at youth international levels.

“Venezuelan football bids a heart-wrenching farewell,” the federation said in a statement, adding that his passing had left the entire soccer community in mourning.

Several other young players were also reported among the victims, including prospects from local academies and clubs.

A nation in mourning

The earthquakes, which struck northern Venezuela, have caused widespread destruction, particularly in coastal areas like La Guaira, where buildings collapsed and rescue efforts have continued for days.

Athletes across sports have begun speaking out about the impact of the disaster, including Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas, whose family narrowly avoided harm.

“Two blocks away from where my family was, buildings collapsed completely,” Rojas said. “I’m really lucky to still have my family.”

He added that hearing about fellow athletes losing loved ones has been especially difficult.

“It’s really devastating. It’s been really hard to go to sleep at night,” Rojas said.

Grief beyond the game

As rescue efforts continue and the full scope of the disaster becomes clearer, the impact on Venezuela’s sporting community is only beginning to be understood. For players like Trejo, the loss is deeply personal - far beyond the game itself.

Across the country and the global soccer community, tributes continue to pour in, reflecting not only the scale of the tragedy, but the lives and families forever changed by it.

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