This was the terrifying moment bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey, nicknamed the “Messi of matadors,” was thrown into the air and left trapped between a charging bull’s horns.
The 29-year-old was lifted off the ground and carried around the amphitheatre in Arles, southern France, as he clung to the horns of the enraged animal.
Footage shows the black bull ramming Roca Rey before tossing him onto its head. The Peruvian matador could be seen struggling desperately as he tried to escape from between the horns.
Several men immediately ran to his aid and attempted to restrain the bull, named Vicioso. After what appeared to be several frantic seconds, a group of around ten people managed to stop the animal and support the bullfighter long enough to pull him free.
They then used brightly coloured sheets to draw the bull away, allowing the bloodied matador to be helped back onto his feet.
Despite being battered and bruised, Roca Rey remarkably returned to the ring to confront the bull. The animal had been struck with a single banderilla, a barbed wooden dart used in Spanish bullfighting.
Roca Rey is one of bullfighting’s biggest names and is renowned for his daring style, prompting comparisons with Argentine football legend Lionel Messi. He moved to Spain at the age of 13 to pursue his career and has since obtained Spanish citizenship.
But the celebrated matador is no stranger to serious incidents inside the bullring.
The latest incident came just months after Roca Rey was gored in Seville, Spain, in April. On that occasion, he suffered a deep wound to his leg after the bull impaled him and lifted him off the ground.
Andrés Roca Rey was lifted into the air and clung on as he was impaled and carried around the amphitheatre in Arles, southern France, last week
Video shows the black bull charging Roca Rey from behind before throwing him onto its head, where the matador became lodged behind the animal’s left horn
The group used coloured sheets to distract the bull before leading it away from Roca Rey, who was later helped back onto his feet
The Peruvian matador has had several uncomfortably close encounters with the horned beasts, including in October 2024 when he was tossed like a rag doll while attached to the bull’s horns.
Mr Roca Rey was then flipped over into a somersault before he came crashing down onto the sand and curled into a ball to try and protect himself.
The animal then launched into a second attack and speared the matador’s uniform, shaking him violently as bystanders rushed in to assist as he laid in a crumpled heap on the ground.
The bullfighter was gored five times in his first five fights.
He caught media attention when a shocking video of him being gored by a rampant bull emerged in 2016.
The incident marked the fourth time Mr Roca Rey had been gored that year. He had been back on his feet for only a few days after being knocked unconscious during an earlier event.
The footage shows how the bullfighter had a near miss, leaving some questioning whether he should consider a different career.
The bull could be seen catching Mr Roca Rey on its horns as he attempted a flamboyant pass with his cloak. Stunned spectators watched the then-teenager being sent spinning around the bull’s horns before being thrown to the arena’s sand floor.
Last week’s incident unfolded months after Roca Rey was gored in Seville, Spain. The bullfighter was left with a deep gash in his leg after being impaled and lifted into the air (pictured)
The Peruvian matador has had several uncomfortably close encounters with the horned beasts, including in October 2024 when he was tossed like a rag doll while attached to the bull’s horns
A video captured the horrific moment the matador was impaled by one of the beast’s huge horns in 2024
Then – for a heart-stopping moment before help can get to him – the young bullfighter was gored and trampled by the angry 1,400-lb animal.
Spectators feared the worst as his seemingly lifeless body was carried away by helpers while others tried to tame the bull.
The extent of his injuries was not made clear but he is said to have suffered concussion and a shattered right cheek bone and has been ordered to rest by medics.
According to polling in 2025, around 77 per cent of Spaniards oppose bullfighting. This includes more than 80 per cent of those under 35.
