Daley Blind.. defeated his heart twice and shined in the 2022 World Cup

The FIFA World Cup tournaments are full of inspiring stories of players who refused to surrender to the nightmare of illness, and declared the victory of determination and will. Among them is Dutchman Daley Blind, who defied cardiomyopathy and continued running inside the green rectangle, equipped with a pacemaker, to go through an exceptional experience in search of glory.

Blind’s story was remarkably embodied in the 2022 World Cup, which he entered amid the fears of millions, before he became an indispensable pillar in the defense of the “Mills” team, and contributed to leading his team to the round of 16 with a victory over the United States, after he scored one goal and assisted another in the match that ended with the Netherlands’ victory (3-1).

Blind’s suffering dates back to December 2019, during his former team Ajax Amsterdam’s match against Spain’s Valencia in the Champions League, when he suddenly fell on the field after feeling severe dizziness.

The player underwent extensive medical examinations that revealed that he had severe inflammation of the heart muscle, in addition to a serious disorder in his rhythm regulation, at a moment during which doctors informed him that his professional career might be over.

But his insistence on continuing to play prompted him to undergo a delicate surgery, during which an implantable cardioverter defibrillator was implanted under the skin, a device that monitors the heartbeat around the clock and delivers an immediate electric shock to revive the heart if it stops suddenly.

But in August 2020, during a friendly match against Hertha Berlin, Blind fell again on the field, before it became clear that the heart device had delivered an electric shock inside his body after his pulse rate rose to a dangerous level, saving his life during crucial moments.

The Dutch Broadcasting Corporation indicated in a report that Blind culminated his medical challenge by returning to the Netherlands national team roster for the World Cup in Qatar, under the leadership of coach Louis van Gaal.