An Argentine footballer playing in Venezuela’s second division has suffered a devastating personal loss after last week’s powerful earthquakes claimed the lives of his wife and two children, according to CNN Español.

Lucas Trejo, 38, who plays for Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, had spent days desperately searching through the rubble of his destroyed beachfront home in La Guaira for signs of his wife, Yanina, and their children, Aarón and Ainhoa, following the twin earthquakes that struck the country.

According to CNN Español, Trejo was attending a training camp with his club in Caracas when the earthquakes — described by the U.S. Geological Survey as a rare “doublet” because two major quakes struck just 39 seconds apart — rocked Venezuela. The player immediately travelled to La Guaira, approximately 18 miles north of the capital, only to find widespread devastation.

Trejo’s brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, told CNN Español that the footballer was “emotionally overwhelmed” by the tragedy.

“What he found was a horrific scene,” Ardiles said. “He found absolutely nothing of what the building itself had been.”

For several days, Trejo combed through the debris alongside friends, teammates and volunteers while appealing for heavy machinery to assist in the rescue effort. A video circulated by fellow players highlighted the desperate need for additional equipment.

“Right now we only have one machine, but it’s not enough,” Venezuelan footballer Robert Garcés of Metropolitanos F.C. said in the appeal, according to CNN Español.

The search ended in heartbreak on Sunday when Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira confirmed the deaths of Trejo’s wife and children.

In a message posted on social media, the club said it “deeply mourns the irreparable loss” of the player’s family and offered its support during the difficult period.

“Lucas, you are not alone. Your family at Maritime La Guaira is with you,” the club stated alongside a family photograph.

The tragedy has resonated throughout the football community in Venezuela and beyond. According to CNN Español, the earthquakes have claimed the lives of several footballers and affected many others connected to the sport.

Among the victims was 18-year-old Yimvert Berroteran, regarded as one of Venezuela’s promising young talents. The Venezuelan national team and the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) confirmed his death on Friday. Berroteran had represented Venezuela at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Doha just months earlier and had recently featured for the country’s U-20 national team.

The disaster also claimed the lives of young players Víctor Palacios and Razan Sijaa, according to the FVF and their respective clubs.

Another footballer, Héctor Bello, lost his partner in the tragedy. Bello revealed on social media that she died while protecting their young daughter during the earthquake.

“I’ll make sure to remind our baby girl how wonderful you were and how much you loved her,” Bello wrote in an emotional tribute.

The wider humanitarian crisis continues to unfold. Venezuelan authorities reported on Sunday that more than 1,400 people have died, while thousands remain missing. Sports Village Square reports that a minute of silence was observed before World Cup matches during the group stage last week in honour of the earthquake victims.

The disaster has also affected foreign nationals. Chinese state media reported that eight Chinese citizens were among the dead, while Spain’s Foreign Ministry said at least nine Spanish nationals had been killed and more than 100 remain missing.

Rescue operations are continuing, although hopes of finding more survivors are fading as search efforts move beyond the critical first 72 hours after the disaster. Experts note that survival chances diminish significantly after that period, particularly in the absence of access to water.

As Venezuela mourns one of the deadliest natural disasters in its modern history, the football community is among those grappling with profound personal losses that extend far beyond the game.

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The Association of Sports Veterans of Nigeria has expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of two of its pioneer members, Adegboye Onigbinde and Henry Nwosu, describing them as towering figures whose contributions greatly shaped Nigerian football.

In a statement jointly signed by the association’s president, Chief Jonathan Ogufere, and secretary, Elder Paul Bassey, the body paid glowing tributes to the late football icons, recalling their immense service to the nation and their achievements on the global stage.

Henry Nwosu

The association noted that Onigbinde rose to prominence after succeeding Brazilian coach Otto Gloria at a time when many Nigerians were clamouring for an indigenous coach to handle the national team.

The late Modakeke-born tactician went on to make history by becoming the first Nigerian coach to lead the national team to a silver medal finish at the 1984 African Cup of Nations finals in Côte d’Ivoire.

Widely respected for his calm touchline demeanour, the traditional chief of Modakeke also achieved another historic milestone when he became the first coach — indigenous or foreign — to defeat Ghana national football team on home soil in Accra during the qualifying campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The veterans further highlighted Onigbinde’s role in nurturing young talents, recalling how he introduced a teenage Femi Opabunmi into Nigeria’s World Cup squad in 2002. They also credited him for recommending legendary goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who later earned over 100 caps for Nigeria.

According to the statement, Onigbinde managed the Super Eagles in 37 international matches across two spells between 1983 and 1984, and later in 2002, recording 13 victories, 17 draws and seven defeats.

The association also paid tribute to former international midfielder Henry Nwosu, who was part of Nigeria’s victorious squad at the 1980 African Cup of Nations and represented the country for more than a decade.

Nwosu later served as assistant coach to Onigbinde during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea and also handled several domestic clubs and youth teams, including the national U-17 side, Ibom Stars, Union Bank FC and Gateway FC.

The Sports Veterans Association said both men would be greatly missed for their lasting contributions to the advancement of football in Nigeria.

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Ted Turner, the pioneering media mogul who transformed television and sports broadcasting, has died at the age of 87, his family announced Wednesday.

Turner founded CNN in 1980, creating the world’s first 24-hour news network, and later launched TBS and TNT, which became staples for sports fans. He purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976, helping turn them into “America’s Team” and guiding the franchise to its 1995 World Series championship. Turner Field, built in 1996, remains a landmark of his influence on Atlanta sports.

As owner of the Braves from 1976, Turner transformed the struggling franchise into a nationally recognised team through nationwide cable broadcasts on TBS, branding them “America’s Team.” Under his leadership, the Braves won the 1995 World Series title and moved into Turner Field ahead of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

In a tribute, the Braves described Turner as “a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan,” crediting him for helping shape the club’s modern identity.

Turner also left a major imprint on basketball and professional wrestling. He owned the Atlanta Hawks for over two decades and helped expand the reach of the NBA through TNT broadcasts. He also built World Championship Wrestling into the biggest rival ever faced by Vince McMahon’s WWF.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hailed Turner as “a visionary whose impact on the media landscape transformed how fans experience sports,” while NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised his role in growing the league’s global audience.

Beyond media and sports ownership, Turner was an accomplished sailor who won the 1977 America’s Cup and later earned induction into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in sports media history, Turner’s innovations reshaped how live sports and news are consumed around the world.

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