Ecuador and FC Cincinnati midfielder Marco Angulo has died from his injuries sustained in a car crash that also killed his former youth team teammate Roberto Cabezas, the Ecuadorian Football Association said on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Angulo was a passenger in the car that crashed into a metal barrier on the Rumiñahui highway southeast of Quito on 7 October. The driver and Cabezas, who played for Independiente Juniors, were killed in the incident.

Angulo was left with serious head injuries and a lung contusion. He was placed in an artificial coma but died from the injuries on Monday night, the El Universo newspaper reported.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Marco – a husband and father, a brother and son, a friend and teammate. He was a joyful, kind young man who lit up every room he entered. Our entire club grieves this tragedy, and we are thinking of and praying for his family. He was a cherished member of the FC Cincinnati family, and he will be missed,” the MLS club said in a statement.

Angulo played for the Ecuadorian league champions, LDU Quito, on loan from FC Cincinnati.

Ecuador’s FA said Angulo “defended the colors of our country at every opportunity he had with his talent and dedication. Marco was not only an outstanding player, but a great teammate. He leaves a deep pain in our hearts.”

Angulo, a defensive midfielder, played for Ecuador Under-17s and Under-20s before making his senior debut in a friendly against Iraq in November 2022. He played in another friendly against Australia in March last year.

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He is is survived by his wife and young son.