As the pinnacle of competitive football competition, every player around the globe hopes to be selected by their national team for action at the FIFA World Cup, which makes injuries at this stage in the season so devastating.
As the pinnacle of international football competition, every player around the globe hopes to be selected by their national team for action at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Latest Fitness Update
With the 2026 tournament now only weeks away from kickoff, the time has come to keep an eye on injury news — news that could make or break a player's chances of competing this summer. A key injury at this stage could dictate a national team's championship hopes.
Nobody is immune to being hampered by a devastating injury, from the top teams and most iconic superstars all the way down to individual role players and key depth pieces.
With the start of the tournament still a few days away, teams have until 24 hours prior to their opening match to submit any injury replacements on their official World Cup rosters. After that, players cannot be replaced for any reason, and teams must make do with whatever happenstance befalls their squad.
The Sporting News takes a look at the latest injury news for the biggest stars hoping to participate in the competition, which begins on June 11 and concludes with the final on July 19.
INJURY LATEST: Arsenal | Man United | Man City | Liverpool | Real Madrid | Barcelona | Chelsea
The Real Madrid winger tore his ACL in early March, leaving him unable to recover in time to participate in the World Cup.
It was confirmed shortly after his injury against Getafe that he would miss the summer FIFA tournament, and probably the start of next season with Real Madrid as well. Without a preseason to ramp up, he will have to be brought back slowly.
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike tore his right Achilles tendon in mid-April while playing a Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain.
How It Changes the Starting XI
He slipped while jumping and landed awkwardly, needing to be stretchered off the pitch. It was confirmed shortly after that he would miss the World Cup, having suffered one of the most serious injuries a professional athlete can sustain.
Ekitike's recovery time will be long, potentially needing nine to twelve months before he is back, meaning he will likely miss a large portion of next season as well.
Ironically, Ekitike was injured in the very same match that saw Alexander Isak return from a long-term injury, and now the man who held down the fort for Liverpool at the No. 9 position will have to miss significant time himself.
Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry was withdrawn in the 61st minute of the Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid, and would later reveal he suffered a serious adductor tear.
The 30-year-old later revealed he would miss the World Cup, requiring surgery to repair the injury which leaves him out for three to four months. He should, thus, be back shortly after the start of next club season, but he cannot recover in time to play for Germany this summer.
Barcelona's Swiss Army knife forward Fermin Lopez, who can play striker, No. 10, or winger, was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a cruel injury late in the season, after Barcelona had already confirmed the La Liga title.
The 23-year-old suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, withdrawn at halftime of Barcelona's 3-1 win over Real Betis in the penultimate match of the La Liga season. He will need 6-8 weeks to recover, meaning he will not be able to participate in the World Cup.
Nearing the end of a nightmare Tottenham season, Xavi Simons suffered an ACL tear in his right leg when he went down in a 1-0 win for Spurs over Wolves. The injury happened shortly after Simons had scored the winning goal, a cruel twist of fate.
It meant that Simons would miss not only the World Cup, but also the first half of next season, which could leave him unable to find a new club, thus meaning the Dutchman may have to stay with Spurs in the Championship if they do indeed suffer relegation.
What It Means for the Group Stage
Amidst a season full of injury setbacks, Eder Militao was forced out of the World Cup after picking up a hamstring injury serious enough to require surgery.
Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu suffered a torn ACL in the final moments of a Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon in late January, having already logged the regulation 90 minutes.
The 27-year-old has been a regular for Ghana since making his debut in 2022, but will not be available at the World Cup.
Having risen from the lower levels of American soccer to the verge of a World Cup call-up, Patrick Agyemang seemed to embody the American dream. That made his Achilles tendon tear all the more painful, as the 25-year-old striker will miss the upcoming World Cup on home soil
After first earning a call-up to the national team while playing for Charlotte FC, a move to English side Derby County and subsequent success made Agyemang a serious possibility to be named to Mauricio Pochettino's squad this summer. He was ruled out when he suffered the serious ankle injury in early April.
The Atletico Madrid midfielder had been a rising star in the second half of this season, going from an afterthought at his new club to a regular contributor in the Champions League semifinals.
Cardoso's absence will be a big miss for the USMNT, where he would compete with Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and others for a spot in midfield at the FIFA tournament on home soil this summer.
MORE: Predicting the USMNT roster, starting lineup at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Fitness Update and Team Impact
Fitness updates matter because one absence can reshape a team's pressing, rest defense, and set-piece plan before the first ball is kicked. Supporters are not just looking for the diagnosis; they want to know whether the likely replacement changes the balance of the XI.
The sharpest follow-up is to compare this player update with the team's next lineup projection. That gives readers a direct answer to the search intent behind injury news: who starts now, and how much does the ceiling change?