Marvin Lee

Marvin Lee
Personal information
Date of birth (1981-11-22)22 November 1981
Place of birth Morvant, Trinidad and Tobago
Date of death 9 March 2003(2003-03-09) (aged 21)
Place of death Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–2001 Defence Force
International career
–2001 Trinidad and Tobago U20
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marvin Lee (22 November 1981 – 9 March 2003) was a Trinidadian footballer who played as a defender.

Injury and death

On 20 March 2001, Lee was captaining the Trinidad and Tobago under-20 national team in a 2001 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament match against the United States, when he collided awkwardly with Landon Donovan in the fourth minute. Donovan suffered cracked ribs, but was able to return to the match. However, Lee sustained neck and spinal injuries, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. All of his medical expenses were covered by CONCACAF president and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.

Two years after the injury, Lee caught a cold, which ended up being fatal. He died in Arima on 9 March 2003, at the age of 21.

Legacy

A few months after his injury, Lee was awarded the FIFA Presidential Award by Sepp Blatter.

The Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, Trinidad, is named after him.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gone, but never forgotten". Trinidad Express Newspapers. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Yoesting, Travis (21 September 2017). "Remembering Marvin Lee, The Young Player Who Died After Colliding With Landon Donovan". The18. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bailey, Joel (10 March 2003). "Marvin Lee passes away". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 Barrero, Jim (11 March 2003). "Ex-Trinidad Player Lee Dies at 21". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Presidential Award" (PDF). Infoplus (FIFA). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2012.