Fictional Narrative: Joshua Zirkzee’s Shocking Presence at Los Angeles Tunnel Collapse

On July 21, 2025, the soccer world reeled as news broke that Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, the 23-year-old Dutch striker, was reportedly at the site of a catastrophic tunnel collapse in Los Angeles, just 15 minutes before the tragedy struck, hours after attending a fictional memorial for Liverpool’s Diogo Jota. The collapse, a fictional escalation of a real July 3 incident where 31 workers escaped an industrial tunnel failure (web:22), claimed 20 lives in this narrative. Witnesses claimed Zirkzee, in Los Angeles for a Nike event, was seen near the Wilshire Boulevard tunnel, but contact was lost, prompting a heart-wrenching family announcement: “We’re praying for Joshua’s safety.” With 25 million #ZirkzeeMissing posts on X, fans mourned as the tragedy, tied to Jota’s recent death, shook the global sports community.

The fictional day began with Zirkzee, fresh off scoring 3 goals in Manchester United’s 2024-25 Premier League season (web:11), attending a memorial for Jota, who died with his brother André Silva in a July 3 car crash in Zamora, Spain (web:0,2,3,5-20,23,24). The memorial, held at a fictional Los Angeles church to honor Jota’s global impact, drew 1,000 attendees, including Premier League stars like Virgil van Dijk (web:23). Zirkzee, who shared an agent with Jota, spoke tearfully: “Diogo inspired me to fight for every goal.” After the service, he visited the Wilshire tunnel site, scouting a charity run route for Jota’s foundation. At 3:45 p.m., witnesses saw him near the tunnel, but at 4:00 p.m., a fictional gas leak triggered a collapse, trapping 50 workers.

Panic ensued. A fictional Los Angeles Times report described Zirkzee’s phone going offline, with his last text to his brother Jeroen reading, “Checking the route—back soon.” His family, in a fictional Sky Sports statement, announced, “We’re devastated and praying Joshua’s alive,” sparking 10 million #PrayForZirkzee posts. @MUFCFan2025 tweeted, “First Jota, now Zirkzee? This can’t be real” (post:0). Surveillance footage, per a fictional CNN report, showed Zirkzee 100 yards from the collapse, but debris blocked rescue efforts. The tragedy echoed Jota’s crash, caused by a tire blowout in a Lamborghini (web:0,5,6,9,12-15,17,18,24), amplifying grief.

The soccer world reacted swiftly. Manchester United, where Zirkzee joined from Bologna for €42.5 million (web:11), issued a fictional statement: “We’re heartbroken and supporting Joshua’s family.” Manager Erik ten Hag, who praised Zirkzee’s 2024 debut (web:11), canceled training. A fictional The Sun report noted 500 fans gathering outside Old Trafford, mirroring Anfield’s tributes for Jota (web:0,2,9,10,14,16,19,20,23). Cristiano Ronaldo, who mourned Jota (web:0,2,5,10,13,19,20), posted, “Joshua, you’re a fighter—come back to us” (post:1). The Texas floods, killing 104 (web:8 from prior context), deepened the somber mood, with Zirkzee’s family donating $50,000 to relief efforts.

The collapse’s details emerged. A fictional Reuters