Renowned Spanish matador Iván Fandiño died in 2017 after being gored by a bull during a festival in Aire-sur-l’Adour, southwest France. The 36-year-old lost his footing after tripping on his cape and was fatally struck in the torso by the bull’s horn, puncturing vital organs.
Fandiño, a father from Spain’s Basque Country, had been a professional matador for over a decade and was known for confronting especially dangerous bulls. Despite being conscious when carried from the arena, he suffered a fatal heart attack en route to the hospital. His reported last words were: “Hurry up, I’m dying.”
Fellow matador Juan del Álamo, who later killed the bull, expressed disbelief. Fandiño had previously survived serious injuries in the ring, making his death a major shock to the bullfighting world—it was the first matador death in France since 1921.
Tributes followed from across Spain, including from King Felipe VI and then-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. His death came less than a year after fellow matador Víctor Barrio was also fatally gored in Spain.
Though bullfighting remains controversial and is banned in some areas, it continues to be legally protected in both France and Spain as part of cultural heritage.