Despite being a rare event, the death of an apparently healthy young athlete causes a major impact on the media. Football is the most commonly implicated sport in Europe and has claimed the lives of several high profile athletes.

The higher death rates in football compared with other sporting disciplines can almost certainly be attributed to its popularity and high rate of participation.

On 25th of January 2004, Fehér was in Guimarães with Benfica to play against Vitória de Guimarães. The game was being broadcast live on TV, and Benfica were leading 1–0.

Fehér had just come on as a substitute and assisted another player just off the bench, Fernando Aguiar, for the match’s only goal, but received a yellow card in injury time and suddenly bent forward, seemingly in pain; he then fell backwards to the ground.

Members of both teams rushed immediately to aid Fehér before medical personnel arrived on the pitch. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, an ambulance arrived on the pitch and he was rushed to the hospital.

His condition was covered by the Portuguese media throughout the day and, before midnight, his death was confirmed, the cause of death being cardiac arrhythmia brought on by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

In his memory Benfica retired the number 29 shirt, which he wore during his time at the club; he was remembered by many and his death caused a profound shock in Portuguese sports.

Among others, Porto director of football Reinaldo Teles and manager José Mourinho paid their respects at the Estádio da Luz, where the player’s body remained before his burial in his native Hungary.

Benfica’s delegation, which included president Luís Filipe Vieira, coach Giovanni Trapattoni and the entire first-team squad, travelled to Hungary, presenting Fehér’s parents with the 2004–05 league championship medal, in respect for the player and his time with the club.