Does the 2026 World Cup Have an Injury Crisis? Which Stars Are Set To Miss The Tournament?

With less than a month to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America, excitement is building across the football world. But while fans count down the days until the tournament begins, several of the game’s biggest stars are facing heartbreak after suffering injuries at the worst possible moment.

A brutal club season has taken a heavy toll, with torn ACLs, ruptured Achilles tendons and serious muscle injuries ruling out a number of elite players before a ball has even been kicked at the World Cup.

From Rodrygo and Serge Gnabry to Hugo Ekitiké and Éder Militão, here are the biggest injury blows ahead of the summer’s showpiece.

Rodrygo blow leaves Brazil scrambling

Perhaps no nation has been hit harder by injuries than Brazil.

Rodrygo looked set to be one of the stars of the tournament before suffering a torn ACL and meniscus during Real Madrid’s defeat to Getafe in March.

The injury effectively ended his 2026 and left Brazil desperately short in attacking areas. Rodrygo scored three times during qualification and had become one of the first names on the team sheet.

Things became even worse for Brazil when defender Éder Militão was ruled out after tearing his hamstring, while teenage sensation Estevão is now in serious danger of missing the tournament too.

The Chelsea youngster suffered a torn hamstring against Manchester United and has since returned to Brazil for specialist treatment.

With Carlo Ancelotti suddenly short of wide options, speculation has already intensified over whether veteran superstar Neymar could now play a bigger role than initially expected after being included in Ancelotti’s 55-man preliminary squad.

Germany lose key attacker Serge Gnabry

Germany have also suffered a major setback in attack with Serge Gnabry ruled out through a torn adductor.

The Bayern Munich winger had featured heavily throughout qualifying and was expected to play a key role this summer.

His absence could hand more responsibility to Jamal Musiala following his own return from injury, while teenage talent Lennart Karl may now have a genuine shot at making the squad.

Germany are also sweating over goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, whose torn thigh muscle has left his World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

Hugo Ekitiké suffers cruel timing

Hugo Ekitiké had been pushing hard to cement his place in France’s World Cup squad after an outstanding debut season with Liverpool.

But his hopes were shattered during a Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain when he ruptured his Achilles tendon.

The striker had scored during both the November and March international breaks and appeared almost certain to travel to the tournament before disaster struck.

France still possess enormous attacking depth, though players like Jean-Philippe Mateta and Allan Saint-Maximin could now benefit from Ekitiké’s absence.

Netherlands hit by defensive and midfield injuries

The Netherlands have seen multiple important players suffer major injuries in recent weeks.

Xavi Simons tore his ACL while playing for Tottenham Hotspur and is now ruled out of the World Cup entirely.

Midfielder Jerdy Schouten also suffered cruciate ligament damage, while defender Jurriën Timber remains a major doubt because of an ongoing groin problem.

The injuries could force manager Ronald Koeman into reshuffling both his midfield and defence just weeks before the tournament begins.

The stars racing against time

Not every injured player has been ruled out completely, but several huge names remain in a race to be fit before the opening match.

Lamine Yamal is battling to recover from a partially torn hamstring after his injury against Celta Vigo.

Alphonso Davies is also facing an anxious wait after Bayern confirmed the Canada captain would be sidelined for several weeks with another hamstring issue.

Meanwhile, Cristian Romero has placed his World Cup participation in jeopardy after damaging knee ligaments while playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Big names expected to recover in time

There is better news for some stars, however.

Mohamed Salah is expected to recover from a hamstring issue before the tournament begins, while Achraf Hakimi should also be fit despite suffering a pulled hamstring in the Champions League.

Luka Modrić is on course to captain Croatia despite fracturing his cheekbone, and Reece James is hopeful of finally putting his injury problems behind him in time to feature for England.

With the countdown to World Cup 2026 now entering its final weeks, injuries are rapidly becoming one of the defining stories before the tournament has even started.