Real Madrid forward Rodrygo will miss the 2026 North and Central America World Cup after suffering a serious knee injury.
Real Madrid announced on its official website on Tuesday that medical tests revealed Rodrygo sustained tears to his right anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus. The Brazilian attacker was injured during the team's 2024-2025 La Liga round 26 home match against Getafe on Monday.
Rodrygo has been a key attacking player for Real Madrid since joining in 2019, scoring 71 goals in 297 official matches. The 24-year-old has represented Brazil's national team in 37 matches with 9 goals since his debut in 2019 at age 18, including appearances at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He was expected to play a major role at the 2026 World Cup, but the injury requires a minimum recovery period of seven to nine months, ruling him out of both the tournament and the remainder of this La Liga season.
"This is the worst day of my life. For a while, I won't be able to do what I love most," Rodrygo wrote on social media. "I won't be able to play the rest of the season with my club or compete in the World Cup with Brazil. Everyone knows how much the World Cup means to me."
He added: "All I can do now is stay strong, as I always have. I'm facing a difficult time, but I won't stop here."