Injuries are mounting for some of soccer’s top players as the World Cup approaches next month, impacting stars like Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and Mohamed Salah. While these players are expected to recover in time for the tournament, others face more serious setbacks.
France’s Hugo Ekitike suffered an Achilles injury in April that may require over six months of recovery, ruling him out of the World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Brazil’s Rodrygo and Éder Gabriel Militão, as well as Germany’s Serge Gnabry, are also confirmed to miss the tournament due to injuries.
Arsenal’s Ben White has been ruled out of contention for the World Cup after sustaining medial ligament damage, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Concerns have been raised by players and coaches over the impact of a congested playing schedule, especially with the extended World Cup following the revamped Club World Cup and expanded Champions League.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has described the situation as “an accident waiting to happen.” As the World Cup draws near and major club competitions reach their climax, players are navigating carefully to avoid injuries before the tournament kicks off.
Notable players ruled out of the World Cup include Joaquin Panichelli (Argentina), Eder Militão and Rodrygo (Brazil), Ben White (England), Hugo Ekitike (France), Serge Gnabry (Germany), Xavi Simons (Netherlands), Cameron Carter-Vickers and Patrick Agyemang (United States).
Injury concerns also loom over key players such as Luca Zidane (Algeria), Cristian Romero (Argentina), Alphonso Davies (Canada), Luka Modric and Joško Gvardio (Croatia), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), and Johnny Cardoso (United States).