In an interview with zerozero, FC Porto midfielder Vasco Sousa revealed dramatic details about the serious injury suffered in December 2025, confessing that there was a real risk of leg amputation.
Five months after the nightmare he experienced, the player spoke for the first time about the entire recovery process, marked by 39 days of hospitalization and 21 visits to the operating room.
It all started after a new fibula fracture in the meeting between Moreirense and Benfica, at a time when Vasco had already recovered from a similar injury suffered months before. What seemed to be just another complicated recovery ended up evolving into a much more serious scenario.
The player explained that he developed compartment syndrome, a situation in which the muscle stops receiving enough oxygen due to extreme pressure in the affected area. “I might not play football again. And lose that leg…”, confessed the Porto midfielder.
According to Vasco Sousa, doctors had to urgently open the leg to relieve muscle pressure. The situation became so critical that those responsible for the clinic alerted the family to the possibility of the player never returning to the field and even to the risk of amputation.
The footballer also revealed that he lost around a third of the muscle in his leg, something that could completely compromise the movement of the foot in an average person. Still, doctors believed in recovery due to his physical condition and muscle mass.
Despite everything, Vasco Sousa is now optimistic: “I’m already putting on my boots, I’m kicking the ball, I’m going back. Calmly. Victory after victory, until the biggest victory.”
At 23 years old, the player remains focused not only on returning to football, but also on personal goals: “Getting married, being a father and being able to pursue my children”.
