Transplant Recipient Becomes World Cup Winner Less Than Two Years After Heart Transplant

Martyn Jackson, a footballer who underwent a heart transplant in November 2024, has achieved a remarkable comeback by winning the Transplant Football World Cup with England in September 2026.

Jackson's journey from a life-threatening condition to becoming a World Cup winner began just days after a league match for Ramsbottom United in October 2024. He fell ill and was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart. Within weeks, he was placed on an urgent waiting list for a transplant. His life was saved by a donor heart, and he underwent successful surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Less than two years after his transplant, Jackson was scoring for the England team in their 5-1 victory over Spain in the final of the Transplant World Cup, an international tournament where all players are recipients of donor organs.

"Obviously, when you've had a transplant, you don't think you're ever going to play again. That's what I thought anyway," Jackson told BBC Sport. "I'll be forever grateful to my donor and the family for what they've given me. They've given me the gift of life and the opportunity to live my life to the fullest."

The Transplant World Cup features seven-a-side matches played over 20-minute halves, with less aggressive contact than standard football, reflecting the delicate health of the players. Jackson, who previously played 11-a-side football in the ninth tier of English football, joined the national transplant team squad in January 2026.

His wife, Lucy, discovered the opportunity to join the England Transplant FC team on social media during his recovery. Daley Cross, the England team manager, noted Lucy's crucial role in motivating Jackson, especially given his past as a Manchester United academy player. "You could tell from him being on the pitch, even though he was so fresh into his journey, that he knew the football game and he would be such an incredible asset to us," Cross said.

Cross emphasized the team's mission: "You can be in a dark place, at the time of diagnosis, through your treatment or even post-transplant. So to have us exist to help and inspire people means that we are getting some incredible footballers. And that really is the power of it: to that transplant community or to the world, showing people that when you've had organ failure, your life isn't over. There is a chance for you, and you can go and resume and live your life."

As a heart transplant recipient, Jackson manages his exercise carefully. His role in the team often involves short bursts of play rather than full matches. This is a contrast to many of his teammates, who have more commonly received kidney transplants. Bayern Munich player Alphonso Davies also experienced a mild form of myocarditis in 2022, leading to a multi-month layoff.

Jackson's condition became so severe before his transplant that doctors had to use a mechanical pump to keep him alive. He was on the super urgent waiting list, the highest priority tier for heart transplant patients in the UK. Dr. Paul Callan, a consultant cardiologist at Wythenshawe Hospital, noted that the average wait time for a transplant on this list has increased to 14 days, with some patients becoming too unwell to proceed.

This extended waiting period coincides with a national decline in organ donors. In 2026, there was a 9% drop in organ donors compared to the previous year, resulting in an all-time high of 8,700 people currently awaiting an organ transplant in the UK. Organ Donation Week, from September 21-28, saw the NHS launch an urgent response plan to address this decline.

Jackson has not yet met his donor's family but is considering reaching out. His rapid recovery and success in winning the Transplant World Cup are considered remarkable by medical professionals.

England's victory in Frankfurt saw them score 36 goals throughout the tournament. For every player involved, the opportunity to play football again is a profound source of gratitude. "It is so important to spread that message, have that conversation about organ donation," said manager Cross, "because our team only exists for that reason. I wouldn't have 16 players to manage if we didn't have organ donation. And England wouldn't have just gone and won a World Cup."