QUITO, Ecuador – Ecuador and FC Cincinnati player Marco Angulo died from injuries sustained in a car accident that also killed his former youth teammate Roberto Cabezas, the Ecuadorian Football Association said Tuesday.

Angulo, 22, was traveling as a passenger in the car that crashed into a metal barrier on the Rumiñahui highway southeast of Quito on October 7. The driver and Cabezas, who played for Independiente Juniors, died in the incident.

Angulo was left with serious head injuries and a lung contusion. He was placed in an artificial coma but died from his injuries on Monday night, the newspaper El Universo reported.

Angulo played for Ecuadorian league champion LDU Quito on loan from FC Cincinnati of the MLS.

The Ecuadorian FA said Angulo “defended the colors of our country at every opportunity he had with his talent and dedication. Marco was not only an exceptional player, but also a great teammate. “It leaves a deep pain in our hearts.”

A defensive midfielder, Angulo played for Ecuador’s U-17 and U-20 teams before making his senior debut in a friendly against Iraq in November 2022. He played in another friendly against Australia in March last year.