STORY: Dr. Alan Sigal of the Cardiovascular Institute of Buenos Aires said on Friday (July 17) his team has treated more heart-related emergencies during World Cup matches, including heart attacks and life-threatening aortic dissections (a tear in the wall of the aorta, the body's main artery) which he linked to fans' stress.

Sigal said in a Reuters interview his team treated three aortic dissections in a single afternoon during Argentina's match against Egypt, contrary to the usual rate of two per month. Additional to that, they treated a wave of post-match patients reporting chest pain, palpitations and high blood pressure.

In Tucuman province, health officials reported two heart attacks and more than 30 emergency calls during Argentina's last match, part of what they call a rise to almost 35 cardiovascular cases since the tournament began, compared with a typical 20 a month.

The Argentine Federation of Cardiology has cited outside studies, including a 2008 New England Journal of Medicine study on the 2006 World Cup, showing measurable spikes in stress and heart attacks tied to high-stakes matches, and has urged fans to stay on their medication, limit alcohol and watch for warning signs.

Stress manifests itself in other ways, not only serious cardiac cases. Soccer fan and biology teacher, Marcelo Daniel Monje, 46, went viral online after his friends shared video of him briefly fainting while watching Argentina beat Switzerland in the early hours of July 12.

Monje told Reuters he felt dizzy and sat down on the couch, unable to breathe properly, before friends helped him. He said he lost consciousness for some seconds and once he was revived, he felt chest pain and continued struggling to breathe.

"I said, well, that's it," Monje recalled, adding he didn't seek medical care after the incident but said he's been feeling tense in the days leading to the World Cup final.

Dr. Sigal says the risk is real, "it is not something in the collective imagination."

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 15, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. (MUTE) DRONE VIEW OF FAN FEST IN BUENOS AIRES

2. FANS LAMENTING MISSED GOAL

3. WORRIED FANS WATCHING THE MATCH

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

4. EXTERIOR OF BUENOS AIRES CARDIOVASCULAR INSTITUTE (ICBA)

5. HEAD OF CARDIOVASCULAR EMERGENCIES AT ICBA, CARDIOLOGIST ALAN SIGAL, OBSERVING MEDICAL CASE WITH ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL

6. MONITOR WITH IMAGE OF PATIENT

7. SIGAL OBSERVING MEDICAL CASE WITH ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF CARDIOVASCULAR EMERGENCIES AT ICBA, CARDIOLOGIST ALAN SIGAL, SAYING:

"Well, we have definitely had cases during the match of heart attacks in progress, some who consult during the match, which is what we always recommend doing when symptoms appear, some who come afterwards, who tried not to come during the match and when they arrive the condition is a bit more advanced. But we have definitely had an increase in cases and we have recorded intra-match heart attacks, not only heart attacks, but we have also detected aortic dissections, which is a surgical emergency, which is basically when the aorta ruptures, which is the main artery of the body. It happened to us in the match against Egypt. There were three during the same afternoon, which is extremely unusual. Usually, at most, there are two per month, at least here at the institution, so three in one afternoon is extremely unusual and it is also very linked to strong emotions like heart attacks and stress. So there is definitely a real risk, it is not something in the collective imagination."

9. SHOCK ROOM AT ICBA

10. TRIAGE SIGN

11. PATIENT WITH ELECTROCARDIOGRAM ELECTRODES IN CHEST

12. VARIOUS OF MEDICAL STAFF PERFORMING ELECTROCARDIOGRAM

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF CARDIOVASCULAR EMERGENCIES AT ICBA, CARDIOLOGIST ALAN SIGAL, SAYING:

"It happens a lot that during the match there is like a relative calm, except for emergency cases which has happened, but then many come in the post-match with a lot of emotion behind, a lot of palpitations, a lot of chest pain, high blood pressure, some arrhythmias and, well, all of that very directly linked to the strong emotions that happen during the match and everything we talked about before."

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 12, 2026) (CARLA MARIANA LUNA HANDOUT - Access All)

14. BIOLOGY TEACHER AND SOCCER FAN, 46, MARCELO DANIEL MONJE FAINTING WHILE WATCHING ARGENTINA V SWITZERLAND MATCH IN BUENOS AIRES APARTMENT AS FRIENDS TRY TO REVIVE HIM

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SOCCER FAN, MARCELO DANIEL MONJE, SAYING:

"And oxygen wasn't coming in, oxygen wasn't coming in, oxygen wasn't coming in. I was saying: breathe, breathe, breathe... And that's when I said, well, that's it. And I sat down and it was a faint that must have been two seconds, one second, five seconds, but I think I needed it. When I woke up, I was telling Damian (friend), after getting home: I had to watch the match again, the last minutes, to remember because I couldn't remember."

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 12, 2026) (CARLA MARIANA LUNA HANDOUT - Access All)

16. MONJE RECOVERING AFTER FAINTING

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

17. MONJE WATCHING RECORDED EPISODE WITH FRIENDS

18. VIDEO ON MOBILE PHONE

19. MONJE WATCHING RECORDED EPISODE WITH FRIENDS

20. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SOCCER FAN, MARCELO DANIEL MONJE, SAYING:

"These last few days, after the semi-final and waiting for Sunday's final, I have been very tense. Just last night I had to put ice on the back of my neck because my head hurt a lot, my neck hurt a lot and there is a lot of tension, a lot of tension. Maybe I make myself say: let's see, I can control this not fainting thing, I can enjoy it, I need to enjoy it, I want to enjoy it."

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 12, 2026) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) (CARLA MARIANA LUNA HANDOUT - Access All)

21. MONJE SITTING WHILE HAVING HIS BLOOD PRESSURE TAKEN AFTER FAINTING

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

22. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SOCCER FAN, MARCELO DANIEL MONJE, SAYING:

"When you watch Argentina it's something else, Argentina jumps, Argentina sings. Argentina has rhythm even to put together a song to cheer on a national team and that hooks you, it takes you to jump on board."

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 15, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All) (NIGHT SHOTS)

23. VARIOUS OF THOUSANDS OF ARGENTINE FANS CELEBRATING AT THE OBELISK AFTER DEFEATING ENGLAND IN SEMI-FINALS