The 2026 World Cup, scheduled to start on June 11, will be without some of the biggest stars in international football due to an epidemic of physical problems in the final stretch of the season. Among the names confirmed out of the tournament for medical reasons are Brazilians Rodrygo, Éder Militão and Estêvãoas well as global stars such as German Serge Gnabrythe French Hugo Ekitike and Spanish Fermin Lopez. In total, more than a dozen high-performance athletes were cut from their national teams after suffering cruciate ligament rupturessevere muscle strains and tendon injuries, drastically changing the balance of power in the competition in North America.
Brazilian drama in the era of Carlo Ancelotti
The Brazilian team arrives for the global competition very weakened in crucial sectors. Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti had to deal with significant absences when releasing the official list of 26 players called up for the competition. The technical committee monitored the clinical situation of several athletes until the last minute, but medical evaluations vetoed the presence of fundamental pieces in the Canarian tactical scheme. The scenario raised alarm in the CBF, which now needs to look for tactical alternatives to supply creativity in the attack and solidity in the defensive line.
The physical gravity that took Rodrygo out of the tournament
The absence most felt by Brazil is that of striker Rodrygo, from Real Madrid. The 25-year-old player suffered a anterior cruciate ligament rupture and the lateral meniscus of the right knee in early March. After undergoing a complex surgical procedure, the estimated recovery time was set at at least six months, which completely made his participation in the World Cup unfeasible. Rodrygo had been one of the offensive pillars of the national team and his absence forced the technical committee to reformulate the creative sector.
The early goodbye of the promise Estêvão
Another loss much regretted by Brazilian fans is that of Estêvão. Chelsea’s young striker, just 19 years old, was hoping to play in his first World Cup after standing out as the cycle’s top scorer under Ancelotti’s command. However, a grade four muscle injury on the back of his right thigh, suffered during an English Championship match against Manchester United in April, took the athlete out of combat. As it was a very extensive rupture of muscle tissue, the healing time made it impossible for him to prepare physically in time for the tournament.
Wesley cut
Right-back Wesley França was officially cut from the Brazilian team and will not be able to participate in the 2026 World Cup due to a thigh injury suffered in the friendly against Egypt. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) informed in a statement that the athlete was re-evaluated by the medical committee and underwent an imaging test.
An MRI revealed an injury to the adductor muscle of the defender’s left thigh, preventing him from continuing with the team in the World Cup. In the statement, the CBF regretted the player’s departure. “Wesley is an athlete loved by the group and will always be considered part of this team that seeks a sixth world championship.”
The international stars who will watch the World Cup on television
The medical department of major global powers has also been working at a fast pace in recent weeks. Argentina, current world champion, lost its defender Juan Foyth due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and the young striker Joaquín Panichellicut by a serious knee ligament injury during training. In European football, medical leaves also substantially changed the squad lists of teams that emerged as favorites for the title.
The list of foreign stars confirmed out of the World Cup due to muscle and ligament problems includes important names from the European scene:
- Serge Gnabry (Germany): The speedy German striker suffered a adductor muscle rupture of the right thigh in the final stretch of the European season. The severity of the muscle strain prevented him from being called up to the German team, which was losing infiltration strength from the sides of the field.
- Hugo Ekitike (France): Considered a great hope for the French attack, the player suffered a painful Achilles tendon rupture during a decisive Champions League clash. Recovery requires a period of inactivity that extends beyond the tournament period.
- Fermín López (Spain): The dynamic Barcelona midfielder suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot and had to undergo emergency surgical procedure in mid-May. With an estimated recovery period of up to eight weeks, his absence was confirmed by the Spanish federation.
- Xavi Simons (Netherlands): The centerpiece of the Dutch national team’s playmaking sector, the Tottenham athlete did not recover in time for a complex ligament injurymissing the Netherlands at a crucial moment of contract renewal.
