Portuguese bullfighter dies after being slammed against a wall in horrific accident

A young Portuguese bullfighter has died after he was rammed against a wall during his debut performance in Lisbon’s Campo Pequeno bullring.

Video from the fight, which took place on Friday (local time), shows Manuel Maria Trindade, 22, beginning to run at the 700kg bull before backing away quickly.

The beast then charges at Trindade, picking him up with its horns before ramming him against the far wall.

Other bullfighters are seen trying, but failing, to slow the bull as it carries Trindade toward the wall and attacks him.

Towards the end of the video, they get the bull to move away from the fighter by pulling its tail and showing it brightly coloured capes.

Almost 7,000 people were in attendance to watch the incident unfold. Photo / @UpSomeone1

Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manha reported Trindade died on Saturday (local time).

He had gone into cardiorespiratory arrest, which doctors were unable to reverse, according to the outlet.

The man was catching a 695kg bull when he crashed into the wall and became immediately unconscious, the outlet reported.

The New York Post reported that almost 7000 people watched the incident unfold at the bullring in Portugal’s capital city.

A 73-year-old spectator died from an apparent aortic aneurysm at a hospital after witnessing the incident, the outlet reported.

Trindade was a celebrated “forcado”, a type of Portuguese bullfighter who provokes a bull into charging, according to the Daily Mail.

Portuguese bullfighting is a separate tradition from the more commonly known Spanish bullfighting.

Unlike the Spanish variation, bulls are not killed in the arena, as competitors attempt to tire or stop the bull by grabbing it by the horns.

The bull’s horns are usually covered in leather padding to protect against injury, but it is unclear if that was the case in the bullfighter’s death, reported the New York Post.

The sport has faced criticism in the country, with some groups calling for its ban, according to the outlet.