Christian "Chucho" Benítez, one of Ecuadorian footballs most promising young strikers, died at the age of 27 in Qatar.

Benítez leaves behind a wife and two children. 

Benítez had just moved to Qatar to join his new team, the El Jaish Sport Club, of Doha. He played his first game yesterday: the team won 2-0. 

Ecuadors Ministry of Foreign Relations put out a statement saying Benítez died of respiratory failure early this morning.

Benítezs father was at the passport office this morning to get the paperwork necessary to travel tonight to Qatar. There, Ermen Benítez made a statement saying that his son hadnt recieved prompt medical treatment when he went to a hospital, complaining of abdominal pain, some time after his football match. 

The president of Ecuadors football federation said the organization will assist in the repatriation of Benítezs body. Club América offered their airplane (Sp) to help get the body from Qatar to México briefly for a tribute event, before flying it to Ecuador, but Ecuadorian officials said the body must come directly to Ecuador.

"Its a tragedy, a blow to us all," said Ecuadors president Rafael Correa about Benítezs death during a live interview this morning on Telesur (Sp). 

Benítez was first selected to play on Ecuadors national team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. As of late, he had become one of the teams most crucial goal scorers in elimination matches for the 2014 World Cup. 

He was also a star in México, where he helped his team Club América win the national championship last year.

Benítez started his career at El Nacional, in Ecuador. After helping that team win the national championship in 2005 and 2006, he moved to the Mexican team Santos Laguna in 2007. Santos Laguna also won the title in 2008, thanks in part to ten goals scored by Benítez. 

In 2009, Birmingham City signed Benítez for a season. Benítez then returned to Santos Laguna briefly before being signed by Méxicos Club América in May 2011.