As the World Cup approaches next month, injuries are affecting some of soccer’s top talents, including Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and Mohamed Salah.
While all three players are anticipated to recover in time for the tournament, others have faced more serious setbacks.
Hugo Ekitike from France is dealing with an Achilles injury sustained in April, which may require over six months for complete healing, thus excluding him from the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and potentially from the start of the next season as well.
Brazilian players Rodrygo and Éder Militão are definitively out of the competition. Additionally, Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry will not participate after suffering an adductor injury during practice.
Arsenal’s Ben White is also ruled out for the World Cup due to medial ligament damage. The Premier League leaders confirmed the injury on Tuesday, stating that the England international will miss the remainder of the season.
There has been an increasing chorus of concern from players and coaches regarding the toll of a congested match schedule, particularly with the expanded World Cup taking place just a year after the revamped, larger Club World Cup. The Champions League has similarly seen recent expansions.
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Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has labeled the pressure on players as “an accident waiting to happen.”
As the World Cup nears and major club titles are up for grabs in the final weeks of the season across many top leagues, players find themselves in a precarious situation, trying to steer clear of injuries before the tournament begins.
Players ruled out of the World Cup:
- Argentina: Joaquin Panichelli (ACL)
- Brazil: Eder Militão (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL)
- England: Ben White (knee ligament)
- France: Hugo Ekitike (Achilles)
- Germany: Serge Gnabry (adductor)
- Netherlands: Xavi Simons (knee ligament)
- United States: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Patrick Agyemang (Achilles)
Ones to watch
Algeria: Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, is uncertain for the tournament after suffering a facial injury from an on-field collision last month.
Argentina: Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the entire season due to a knee injury. It remains unconfirmed whether he will miss the World Cup, as Tottenham has not provided a recovery timeline.
Canada: Key left back Alphonso Davies sustained a hamstring injury just over a month before the tournament, occurring during Bayern Munich’s match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.
Croatia: Veteran midfielder Luka Modric fractured his cheekbone last month but is expected to participate in the World Cup. Defender Joško Gvardiol has returned to training with Manchester City after being sidelined for four months due to a broken leg.
Morocco: Achraf Hakimi, a defender for Paris Saint-Germain, is recovering from a right thigh injury.
United States: Midfielder Johnny Cardoso suffered a sprained right ankle five weeks prior to the World Cup while training with Atletico Madrid.
