Montenegro and Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic has passed away suddenly at the age of 26, his club and national football association confirmed on Saturday.
The Montenegro Football Association announced that Sarkic “died suddenly early this morning”, describing him as a “beloved member of the ‘Brave Falcons’, an eternally smiling guy.” Sarkic had played nine times for Montenegro, making his debut against Belarus in 2019 and starting in goal in a friendly against Belgium on June 5.
Sarkic’s club, Millwall Football Club, expressed their devastation at the news, stating, “Millwall Football Club is completely devastated to announce that Matija Sarkic has passed away at the age of 26.” The English Championship club praised Sarkic’s contributions, noting that he made 33 appearances for the club since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2023.
The Montenegro football federation also paid tribute to Sarkic, saying, “In the jersey of that iconic London club, he left a mark, which was yet to become part of a bigger and more beautiful story. Premature death stopped that and caused great pain to the Sarkic family.”
Sarkic’s football career began in the youth academy at Anderlecht before moving to Aston Villa in 2015. He had loan spells at several clubs, including Wigan, Stratford, and Havant & Waterlooville in England, and Livingston in Scotland, before joining Wolves in 2020.
