Horror moment so-called 'Messi of Matadors' is brutally gored and thrown into air by 1,000lbs bull

27 July 2023, 13:46

Roca Rey is recovering at home and plans to return next week
Roca Rey is recovering at home and plans to return next week. Picture: getty/social media
Kieran Kelly

By Kieran Kelly

This is the horrifying moment a matador dubbed the 'Lionel Messi' of the sport is brutally gored by a 1,000lbs bull, leaving him severely injured.

Dramatic footage shows the beast charge at bullfighting legend Andrés Roca Rey before shoving him against the barriers multiple times.

Roca Roy's fellow bullfighters step in and pull him outside of the arena.

Another bullfighter is then subjected to the same treatment as the beast flings a contestant into the air.

Roca Rey was rushed to hospital with injuries to his neck, face, thighs and knee. They are thought to be the worst injuries the bullfighter has suffered in his illustrious eight year career.

According to reports in the local media, Roca Rey is receiving treatment at his home in Sevilla, Andalusia. Despite his injuries, he is already set to return to a contest on August 3.

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It is not the first time he has put himself in harms way in the bullfighting area, having been injured five times in his first five contests.

He has been hit with amnesia, lost two teeth and has been stabbed in the mouth.

Roca Rey has been injured a number of times
Roca Rey has been injured a number of times. Picture: Getty

His injuries and reluctance to give up have earned him plaudits within the bullfighting world and on social media.

"He is like the Messi or Ronaldo of the bullfighting world."No one has such acclaim as him or can fill bullrings wherever he fights," bullfighting critic Antonio Lorca told The Telegraph.

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