Deaths Famous Dead Athletes
Jim Dennison
American football coach (Akron Zips · 04 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 4 · Other
Bobby Holmes
Scottish footballer (St Mirren) · 04 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 4
Miklós Dudás
Hungarian Olympic sprint canoeist (2012) · 04 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 4
John Meredith
English footballer (Doncaster Rovers · 04 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 4
Miklós Dudás (canoeist) Hungarian Olympic sprint canoeist, world champion dead at age 34
Miklós Dudás, a Hungarian sprint canoeist and 2012 Olympic competitor, died on January 5, 2026, at the age of 34. Born in Budapest on April 16, 1991, he represented Hungary in the men's K-1 200 metres at the 2012 Summer… · 05 January 2026 · January 2026
Alan Baker
English footballer (Aston Villa) · 03 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 3
Dastagir Hossain Nira
Bangladeshi footballer (Dhaka Abahani · 03 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 3 · Nira
Milorad Kosanović
Serbian footballer and manager · 03 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 3
Nam Singh Thapa
Nepali Olympic boxer (1964) · 03 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 3 · Thapa
Arnold Long
British cricketer (Sussex · 02 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 2
Dimitar Penev
Bulgarian football player (CSKA Sofia · 02 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 2
Phoenix Spicer
Australian football league player (North Melbourne) · 02 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 2
Diane Crump
American jockey and horse trainer · 01 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 1
Bobby Baxter (footballer, born 1937) public figure dead at age 88
Robert Denholm Baxter, an English professional footballer who played for Darlington, Brighton & Hove Albion and Torquay United, died on January 2, 2026. Born in Redcar, Yorkshire, in 1937, he was the son and namesake of Scotland and Middlesbrough footballer… · 02 January 2026 · January 2026
Mukhsin Mukhamadiev
Tajik-Russian football player (Tajikistan national team · 31 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 31
Jeon Jun-ho
South Korean baseball player (Hyundai Unicorns · 31 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 31
Colin McDonald (footballer, born 1930) English footballer dead at age 95
Colin McDonald, the English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Burnley and the national team, died on January 1, 2026. Born Colin Agnew McDonald on 15 October 1930, he made 201 appearances for Burnley across two spells from 1948… · 01 January 2026 · January 2026
Paul McCullagh Jr. Northern Irish boxer, bone cancer dead at age 25
Paul McCullagh Jr., a Northern Irish boxer, died on January 1, 2026, from bone cancer. Born in Belfast in 2000, he was nicknamed The Irish Drago. He turned professional in 2020 after winning the 2019 Ulster Elite championship. McCullagh died… · 01 January 2026 · January 2026
Lowell MacDonald
Canadian ice hockey player (Pittsburgh Penguins · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Gökmen Özdenak
Turkish footballer (İstanbulspor · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Serge Roy
French footballer (Racing Besançon · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · French
Marijan Čerček
Croatian footballer (Dinamo Zagreb · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Jiří Zubrický Czech Olympic weightlifter dead at age 61
Jiří Zubrický, a Czech Olympic weightlifter who competed in the 1988 and 1992 Games for Czechoslovakia, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 61. Born in Most on February 8, 1964, he won a bronze medal at the… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Yuri Sudakov Russian boxer dead at age 77
Yuri Sudakov, a Russian boxer and boxing coach, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 77. Born Yuri Evgenievich Sudakov on July 3, 1948, in Moscow, he competed at the 1976 USSR Boxing Championships, where he won the… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Pasha Kasanov Ukrainian football player and manager dead at age 72
Pasha Kasanov, a Ukrainian football player and manager, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 72. Known as Pasha Namazovych Kasanov, he played for Nyva Vinnytsia and Metalurh Zaporizhzhia and later worked as manager of Nyva Vinnytsia. He… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Billy Ray Barnes American football player dead at age 90
Billy Ray Barnes, an American football player and coach, died on December 31, 2025, at age 90. Barnes was a halfback in the National Football League, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. He was a three-time… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Sharif Nazarov
Tajik football player (Pamir) and manager (Varzob Dushanbe · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
NASCAR
Father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Other
Gordon Jones
English footballer (Middlesbrough · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Jerry Welsh (basketball) American college basketball coach (SUNY Potsdam dead at age 89
Jerry Welsh, an American college basketball coach and former head coach of the SUNY Potsdam Bears and Iona Gaels, died on December 30, 2025, at the age of 89. Welsh coached SUNY Potsdam from 1970 to 1991 and Iona from… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Patrice Péron
French rugby union player (Racing 92 · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · French
Akshu Fernando
Sri Lankan cricketer (Panadura Sports Club) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Gines Gonzalez
French footballer (Saint-Étienne · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · González · French
Kristaq Eksarko
Albanian footballer (national team) · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28
Saber Eid Egyptian football player dead at age 66
Saber Eid, an Egyptian football player who played for Ghazl El Mahalla and the national team, died on December 29, 2025. He was born on May 1, 1959, and played as a centre-back for Ghazl El Mahalla. Eid represented Egypt… · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · Cancer
Pedro Camus Spanish Olympic footballer dead at age 70
Pedro Camus, a Spanish footballer and central defender who competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics, died on December 29, 2025, at the age of 70. Pedro Camus Pérez was born on 13 June 1955. He played… · 29 December 2025 · December 2025
James Akins (tubist) Musician dead at age 69
James Milton Akins, an American tubist and music professor best known for his association with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, died on December 29, 2025, at age 69. Born in Savannah, Georgia, on June 15, 1956, he studied the tuba with… · 29 December 2025 · December 2025
Guy Chouinard
Canadian ice hockey player (Atlanta/Calgary Flames · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28
Tony Bond
English rugby union player (national team) · 27 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 27
Hugh Morris
Welsh cricketer (Glamorgan · 27 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 27 · Welsh
Silvan Kindle Liechtenstein Olympic alpine skier dead at age 89
Silvan Kindle died on December 28, 2025. He was a Liechtenstein Olympic alpine skier who competed in 1960. · 28 December 2025 · December 2025
Suad Kalesić
Bosnian-Herzegovinian footballer · 27 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 27
Carlos Cardoso
Portuguese footballer and manager · 27 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 27
Dave Downey
American basketball player (Illinois Fighting Illini) · 27 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 27
Clifton McNeil
American football player (Cleveland Browns · 26 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 26
Rafael Viteri
Spanish footballer (Athletic Bilbao · 26 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 26
Fernando Martín Carreras
Spanish footballer and manager · 26 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 26 · Carreras
Jonathan Powell (musician) British pianist and musicologist dead at age 56
Jonathan Powell, the British pianist, musicologist and music editor, died on December 27, 2025, aged 56. Born in Lancashire in 1969, he was also a self-taught composer who wrote piano sonatas, string quartets and other chamber music. As a performer… · 27 December 2025 · December 2025
Miklós Fazekas Hungarian steeplechase runner dead at age 92
Miklós Fazekas, a Hungarian steeplechase runner, died on December 27, 2025, at the age of 92. Born in Putnok on December 6, 1933, he graduated from the College of Physical Education in Budapest. Fazekas won the gold medal in the… · 27 December 2025 · December 2025
Juanan López
Spanish footballer (Athletic Bilbao) · 26 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 26 · Lopez
Tom Maentz
American football player and businessman (University of Michigan) · 26 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 26
Mohamed Lekkak
Algerian footballer and manager (FC Rouen · 25 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 25
Jean-Louis Gasset
French football manager and player · 25 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 25 · French
Jim Flanigan Sr. American football player dead at age 80
Jim Flanigan Sr., an American football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League and played for the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, died on December 26, 2025, at age 80. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on… · 26 December 2025 · December 2025
Daniel Huillier
French ice hockey player (Ours de Villard-de-Lans · 25 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 25 · French
John Robertson (footballer, born 1953) Scottish footballer dead at age 72
John Robertson, the Scottish footballer who played as a left winger for Nottingham Forest, Derby County and the Scotland national team, died on December 25, 2025. He was a key figure in Nottingham Forest’s success under Brian Clough, providing the… · 25 December 2025 · December 2025
Ray Lamb American baseball player dead at age 80
Ray Lamb, an American baseball player who pitched for the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers, died on December 25, 2025. Raymond Richard Lamb was a former Major League Baseball pitcher for two teams and later became a highly… · 25 December 2025 · December 2025
Frank Craighill Sports agent dead at age 86
Frank Craighill, an American sports agent and founding partner of the sports marketing firm ProServ, died on December 25, 2025, at the age of 86. ProServ was created in 1970 in Washington, D.C., by Craighill and attorney and former professional… · 25 December 2025 · December 2025
Roberto Buitrago
Colombian road racing cyclist · 23 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 23
Richard Cramb
Scottish rugby union player (national team) · 23 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 23
Masashi Ozaki
Japanese golfer · 23 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 23
Jimmy Miller
Scottish footballer (Greenock Morton · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Andy Kosco
American baseball player (Minnesota Twins · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Vasil Ringov
Yugoslav and Macedonian footballer (Vardar · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Frédéric Brun
French racing cyclist · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22 · French
Andrei Stocker
Romanian footballer (Jiul Petroșani · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Sebastian Hertner
German footballer (Erzgebirge Aue · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22 · Sebastián
Norton Barnhill
American basketball player (Washington State Cougars · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Allan Gilliver
English footballer (Bradford City · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Clyde Werner American football player dead at age 78
Clyde Werner, an American football player who was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, died on December 23, 2025. He was 78. Werner played six seasons with the Chiefs in the National Football League after being selected in the… · 23 December 2025 · December 2025
D. Tokijan
Singaporean footballer (Singapore FA · 22 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 22
Maciej Łasicki
Polish Olympic rower (1992) · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Zbigniew Mikołajów
Polish footballer (Zagłębie Sosnowiec · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Steve Ford
English footballer (Stoke City) · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Alan Marley
New Zealand footballer (national team) · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Jean Laudet
French sprint canoeist · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21 · French
Rich McGeorge
American Hall of Fame football player (Green Bay Packers) and coach (Birmingham Stallions · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Stefano Vavoli
Italian football/soccer player · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Alf Meakin
British Olympic sprinter and rugby league footballer · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Robin Turner (footballer) English footballer dead at age 70
Robin Turner, the English footballer who played for Ipswich Town and Swansea City, died on December 22, 2025. A forward and England youth international, he began his career at Ipswich Town after joining as an apprentice in 1971. He was… · 22 December 2025 · December 2025
Giorgio Rumignani
Italian football/soccer player · 20 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 20