West Bromwich Albion Mourns Former Player Quévin Castro
West Bromwich Albion is in mourning after former midfielder Quévin Castro died on Saturday, collapsing on the pitch during a pre-season friendly in Portugal.
The 25-year-old was playing for Real Sport Clube, a lower-division side, in a match against Estrela da Amadora on August 22 when he suddenly went down. The Lisbon Football Association and Real Sport Clube later confirmed his death on social media.
No cause of death has been made public.
Albion pays tribute
News of Castro’s passing quickly reached The Hawthorns. By Sunday, West Brom had turned their home game against Burnley into a quiet act of remembrance.
Players wore black armbands. Supporters rose to applaud in the 25th minute, a simple, sharp tribute to his age. It was billed as a celebration of life, but the atmosphere carried the weight of shock.
"We are devastated to learn of the untimely passing of our former player Quevin Castro," the club posted on social media, alongside a photograph of him lifting the Premier League Cup at youth level. On their website, Albion added: "The thoughts of everyone at Albion are with Quevin’s loved ones at this desperately sad time."
A brief but bright Albion chapter
Born in Portugal, Castro’s time in West Brom’s first team was fleeting but memorable.
He made his senior debut in 2021, thrown into a Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal. The following year he featured in the Sky Bet Championship against Swansea City, a significant step for a player trying to force his way into the senior picture.
Castro also left a mark in the club’s youth ranks. He scored in West Brom’s U23 Premier League Cup final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, a derby decided by a penalty shootout after his contribution in normal time.
West Brom had already been dealing with the fallout of relegation from the Premier League in 2021. Castro’s emergence offered a flash of optimism in a difficult period, a reminder of the talent still coming through the system.
Journeyman path, cruel ending
After leaving Albion, Castro’s career followed the winding path familiar to many young professionals fighting for a foothold in the game.
He had spells with Burton, Notts County, Gateshead, York City, King’s Lynn, Chippenham, Cambridge City and Eastbourne, before returning to his homeland this summer to sign for Real Sport Clube.
That move was supposed to be a fresh start. Instead, it became the final chapter.
For West Brom, and for the clubs and teammates who crossed paths with him, the question now lingers uncomfortably: how does football make sense of losing a player at just 25, in the very place he felt most alive — on the pitch?
