Jamal Musiala's Health Update: Living with Treatable Absence Seizures
Jamal Musiala has revealed he is living with treatable absence seizures after collapsing on the pitch for the second time in four days, but insists there is no long-term threat to his health or his career.
The Bayern Munich midfielder went down just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute in Tuesday night’s friendly against FC Heidenheim, a worrying repeat of the incident that saw him collapse during Saturday’s game against RB Leipzig.
This time, he chose to address it head on.
Musiala explains diagnosis
Posting on Instagram, the 23-year-old Germany international laid out the diagnosis and moved quickly to calm fears.
"I understand that many of you are worried. I would like to put those concerns to rest today and explain the situation: I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary -- but treatable -- absence seizures resulting from a neurological dysfunction," he wrote.
"These can lead to the kind of incidents seen recently, such as during the match against Leipzig or the game in Heidenheim.
"I know they might look alarming at first glance, but for me, they are currently part of my everyday life. I am receiving excellent medical care and remain very optimistic. FC Bayern and my personal support network are right by my side, helping me through this."
The images of Musiala collapsing twice in quick succession sparked immediate concern across Germany and beyond. The explanation, and the clarity of his words, cut through the speculation.
Bayern knew, and backed him
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl confirmed after the Heidenheim match that the club had been fully informed about Musiala’s condition before he returned to the pitch.
Asked whether Musiala should have been playing again so soon after Saturday’s collapse, Eberl said the midfielder would speak publicly about the issue and stressed: "We knew about it and we are aware of the situation."
Musiala underlined that point, stressing that he had been cleared to play and that the condition does not pose a further health risk.
"Importantly, there is no further health risk involved," he said. "In close consultation and regular contact with the experts, it was my personal wish to face this challenge; with the medical clearance of the neurologists, I want to continue doing what helps my recovery most: simply living my life and pursuing my passion for playing football.
"I have taken full responsibility for this decision. Overall, I feel very positive and am on the right track."
He also admitted he had hoped to keep the matter behind closed doors.
Musiala said it had been his "wish to keep this matter private, sharing it only with my closest circle, the club, and the medical experts." Two public collapses in four days made that impossible.
From broken leg to World Cup stage
This is not the first major setback Musiala has faced in a short span.
He broke his leg last summer in Bayern’s Club World Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain, an injury that ruled him out for months. He returned at the start of the 2026 Bundesliga campaign and quickly re-established himself as a central figure for both club and country.
At the 2026 World Cup, he was one of Germany’s key players under Julien Nagelsmann, even as the tournament ended in shock with a round-of-32 exit to Paraguay.
Now, after a broken leg and a neurological diagnosis, Musiala is again fighting to keep his career on its own terms — with doctors clearing the way and Bayern standing behind him.
The next question is no longer whether he will play, but how a player of his talent writes the next chapter while carrying a condition he now refuses to hide.
