West Bromwich Albion Mourns the Loss of Quévin Castro

West Bromwich Albion is in mourning after former midfielder Quévin Castro died at the age of 25, collapsing on the pitch during a pre-season friendly in Portugal.

Castro was playing for Real Sport Clube, a lower-division side in Portuguese football, in a friendly against Estrela da Amadora on Saturday, August 22, when he collapsed during the match. The Lisbon Football Association and Real Sport Clube later confirmed on social media that he had died.

The news travelled quickly back to England, to a club and a fanbase that had watched his first steps in senior football.

"We are devastated to learn of the untimely passing of our former player Quevin Castro," West Brom said in a statement, posted alongside a photo of the midfielder proudly holding the Premier League Cup trophy from his time with the club’s youth setup.

Born in Portugal, Castro broke into West Brom’s first-team picture in 2021. He made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup against Arsenal, a night that marked the culmination of his progress through the ranks. He went on to feature in the Sky Bet Championship in 2022, appearing against Swansea City.

His most memorable moment in Albion colours came with the club’s U23s. Castro scored in the Premier League Cup final against Wolverhampton Wanderers, a tense contest that was eventually settled by a penalty shootout, with West Brom lifting the trophy.

Tribute at The Hawthorns

On Sunday, August 23, The Hawthorns became a place of tribute as much as competition. During West Brom’s home match against Burnley, the club honoured Castro’s memory. Players wore black armbands, and in the 25th minute the game paused in spirit as supporters rose to deliver a sustained applause, a celebration of life tied poignantly to his age.

"The thoughts of everyone at Albion are with Quevin’s loved ones at this desperately sad time," the club added in a statement on its website.

No cause of death has been made public.

Castro had only recently returned to his homeland, joining Real Sport Clube this summer after a nomadic spell in the English game. His journey took him to Burton, Notts County, Gateshead, York City, King’s Lynn, Chippenham, Cambridge City and Eastbourne — a list that speaks to the grind of a young professional chasing a career across the football pyramid.

Now his story ends far too soon, leaving a club, former teammates and supporters to remember a player whose biggest chapters were meant to lie ahead.