World Cup 2026 Injury List: Every Player Out or in Doubt
The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City, and the final weeks of the European club season have produced a wave of injuries that are reshaping squad plans across the 48 qualified nations.
Some of the biggest names in world football are now confirmed absentees, while others face a frantic race against the clock to recover before their coaches submit final 26-player lists by June 1.
This guide breaks down the full picture in plain language. You will see who has officially been ruled out, who is in serious doubt, and who is expected to recover in time.
The information is drawn from club statements, national federation updates, and reporting from major outlets including Reuters, ESPN, Sky Sports, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and Al Jazeera as of May 6, 2026.
Players Confirmed Out of World Cup 2026
These players will not feature at the tournament. Their injuries have been confirmed by their clubs or national associations, and their recovery timelines fall well outside the tournament window of June 11 to July 19.
Rodrygo (Brazil)
The Real Madrid forward was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee following a March 2 La Liga match against Getafe. He confirmed himself in an emotional Instagram post that he is out of the World Cup, calling it one of the worst days of his life.
Recovery is expected to take seven to nine months. Rodrygo had been a key part of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s attacking plans alongside Vinicius Junior and Endrick.
Eder Militao (Brazil)
The Real Madrid defender underwent surgery in late April for a rupture of the proximal tendon of the biceps femoris in his left leg. The injury was a recurrence of the hamstring problem he first sustained in December against Celta Vigo. The procedure was performed in Finland by Dr. Lasse Lempainen, with a five-month recovery timeline that takes him into October and rules him out of Brazil’s World Cup campaign.
Xavi Simons (Netherlands)
The Tottenham playmaker ruptured the ACL in his right knee during a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 25. Tottenham confirmed the injury two days later. Simons, 23, was a star of the Netherlands’ Euro 2024 semifinal run and his absence is a major blow to coach Ronald Koeman. The Dutch open Group F against Japan on June 14.
Hugo Ekitike (France)
The Liverpool striker ruptured his Achilles tendon in April during a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed surgery went well, but the recovery timeline extends into late 2026 or early 2027. Ekitike is officially out of the tournament.
Serge Gnabry (Germany)
The Bayern Munich forward suffered a torn adductor muscle in his right thigh that ended his Bundesliga season. Gnabry confirmed on social media he would be supporting Germany from home. Coach Julian Nagelsmann is expected to lean more heavily on Jamal Musiala in his absence.
Patrick Agyemang (United States)
The USMNT striker ruptured his Achilles tendon in April. Agyemang had been a promising option after scoring against Portugal in recent friendlies, but the co-host nation will now miss out on his services. The injury places more pressure on Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi to lead the line for coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Jarrad Branthwaite (England)
The Everton defender suffered a hamstring injury during the Merseyside derby loss to Liverpool in late April. Reports indicate he will miss approximately two months, ruling him out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad after a season already disrupted by hamstring surgery in October. He has made just 10 Premier League appearances all season.
Jack Grealish (England)
The Manchester City attacker, on loan at Everton, suffered a season-ending foot issue requiring surgery and will not feature for England this summer.
Boubacar Kamara (France)
The Aston Villa midfielder is sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury and is ruled out of France’s tournament campaign. His absence is a significant loss given France’s relative shortage of midfield depth.
Luis Angel Malagon (Mexico)
The Club America goalkeeper tore his Achilles tendon and is ruled out of the tournament. The injury opens the door for veteran Guillermo Ochoa to potentially return for a home World Cup, with manager Javier Aguirre expected to confirm his goalkeeping pecking order in the coming weeks.
Samu Aghehowa (Spain)
The young Spanish striker suffered an ACL tear in February, halting a breakthrough season. Spain still have abundant attacking options under Luis de la Fuente, but Aghehowa had been pushing for a squad spot.
Valentin Carboni, Joaquin Panichelli and Juan Foyth (Argentina)
Argentina have lost three squad candidates to serious injuries. Both Carboni and Panichelli sustained critical knee injuries that ended their World Cup hopes, and defender Foyth is also ruled out after surgery. The losses weaken Lionel Scaloni’s defensive depth as the holders prepare to defend their title.
Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu (Ghana)
Ghana confirmed both players are dealing with long-term injuries that rule them out of the tournament. Kudus, who joined Tottenham last summer for £52 million, suffered a fresh quad injury early in Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure. The double absence is particularly damaging given Ghana’s Group L challenge against England, Croatia, and Panama.
Takumi Minamino (Japan)
The AS Monaco forward is confirmed out of the tournament after rupturing his ACL in December. Japan retain plenty of attacking options, but Minamino’s experience in tight knockout games will be missed.
Players in Serious Doubt for World Cup 2026
These players have suffered injuries in the closing weeks of the season and are in a genuine race to be available. Final calls will come once national federations submit their 26-man squads to FIFA by June 1.
Estevao (Brazil)
The 19-year-old Chelsea winger suffered a grade-four hamstring injury 16 minutes into a 1-0 loss to Manchester United on April 18 and was reportedly in tears at halftime. He has returned to Brazil and is rehabbing at his former club Palmeiras’ facilities in Sao Paulo, with a Chelsea specialist overseeing the program. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti will name his squad on May 18, and the discussion within the Brazil federation is whether to include him in hopes he recovers for the knockout stages.
Cristian Romero (Argentina)
The Tottenham captain suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on April 12 in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, after being pushed by Brian Brobbey into a collision with his own goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. The five-to-eight-week recovery does not require surgery, and Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala says he is expected to be fit for the tournament. Argentina open Group J against Algeria on June 16.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Barcelona confirmed Yamal’s domestic season is over after a hamstring injury in his left leg, specifically the biceps femoris muscle, sustained on April 22 in a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo. Recovery is projected at six to eight weeks.
Coach Hansi Flick has expressed confidence Yamal will be ready for the tournament, and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has indicated he will pick the 18-year-old in his 26-man squad. Spain open Group H against Cape Verde on June 15.
Kylian Mbappe (France)
Real Madrid confirmed Mbappe was diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg, sustained in a 1-1 draw against Real Betis. He will miss El Clasico on May 10 but is expected to return before the season ends. France remain optimistic about his fitness for the tournament. France open Group I against Senegal on June 16.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
The Egypt captain suffered a hamstring tear during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace and was substituted in the 60th minute. Egypt national team director Ibrahim Hassan confirmed a four-week treatment timeline.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot later said the injury is minor and Salah will return for Liverpool before the season ends. Salah is widely expected to be fit for Egypt’s opener against Belgium in Group G on June 15.
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
The Paris Saint-Germain right-back sustained a hamstring tear in his right thigh during the dramatic 5-4 Champions League semifinal first-leg win over Bayern Munich on April 28. PSG confirmed he will be out for several weeks. The injury came in a duel with Konrad Laimer, and Hakimi finished the match because PSG had used all substitutions. He is expected to recover in time for the World Cup, where Morocco face Brazil on June 13.
Wataru Endo (Japan)
The Japan captain and Liverpool defender has not played since sustaining an ankle injury at Sunderland in February. Slot has indicated he may return before the end of the Liverpool season, but his match sharpness for Group F is a concern.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany)
Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper has spent more time recovering than playing in 2026 after a severe hamstring injury in February. Coach Julian Nagelsmann said in March that ter Stegen’s chances were slim and that he needed to speed up his recovery. Oliver Baumann is the likely replacement if ter Stegen does not make it.
Matheus Cunha (Brazil)
The Manchester United forward was confirmed out for the rest of the Premier League season in early May, putting his Brazil squad place in jeopardy. With Brazil’s attacking injury list already long, his return to fitness is a priority for Carlo Ancelotti’s staff.
Mikel Merino (Spain)
The Arsenal midfielder is recovering from ankle surgery and remains a doubt for Spain’s tournament. He has been sidelined since January, and de la Fuente will need confirmation of match fitness before the June 1 deadline.
Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)
Croatia are closely monitoring the Manchester City defender after a tibia fracture. Gvardiol’s defensive partnership in Croatia’s back line is one of the most settled in Europe, and his fitness is critical for coach Zlatko Dalic ahead of Group L against England.
Luca Zidane (Algeria)
The Granada goalkeeper, son of former France great Zinedine Zidane, suffered a jaw and chin fracture and concussion after a collision in a Spanish second tier match. He remains a doubt for Algeria’s tournament campaign.
Cameron Carter-Vickers (United States)
The Celtic defender continues his recovery from an Achilles tear. With co-host pressure mounting, Pochettino needs his defensive options at full strength.
Dejan Kulusevski (Sweden)
The Tottenham forward is dealing with a knee injury and remains a doubt for Sweden’s Group F opener.
Arda Guler (Turkey)
The Real Madrid playmaker has a hamstring problem and is racing to be ready for Turkey’s Group D opener against the United States.
Players Expected to Recover in Time
This group has had injury setbacks during 2025-26 but is expected to be available when squads convene in late May and early June. Coaches will manage their minutes carefully in any pre-tournament friendlies.
- Bukayo Saka (England): Returning from an ankle sprain in time for England’s Group L campaign against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
- Raphinha (Brazil): Expected to be fit, providing some attacking relief for a depleted Brazil front line.
- Kai Havertz (Germany): Awaiting medical clearance but tracking toward availability.
- Eberechi Eze (England): Returned from a calf problem and is back in Arsenal training.
- Ruben Dias (Portugal): Working back from a hamstring issue and expected to be fit.
- Luka Modric (Croatia): A cheek injury keeps him out short-term, with a target return in mid-June.
How Squad Submission Deadlines Affect These Decisions
FIFA’s regulations require all 48 nations to follow a structured submission process. The preliminary list of 35 to 55 players is due by May 11, 2026. The final 26-player squad list, which must include at least three goalkeepers, is due by June 1, 2026. Coaches can replace injured players up until 24 hours before their team’s first match if both the team doctor and FIFA’s General Medical Officer confirm the injury is severe enough to prevent participation.
This flexibility is the reason most coaches will name doubtful stars like Salah, Yamal, Mbappe, and Hakimi in their final list and gamble on a recovery rather than rule them out early.
FIFA confirmed in December 2025 that the 26-player squad cap stays for 2026, despite calls from several federations for a further expansion to 30.
Players Often Confused With Injuries Who Are Simply Not at the Tournament
A large share of search traffic around the World Cup 2026 injury list comes from fans looking for stars who are not going to the tournament for non-injury reasons. The most common cases involve nations that failed to qualify.
- Italy: Lost their qualification playoff to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties on March 31, 2026. After Italy led 1-0 through Moise Kean and was reduced to 10 men following an Alessandro Bastoni red card, Bosnia equalized through Haris Tabakovic and won the shootout 4-1. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Bastoni, and Sandro Tonali are all fit but have no tournament to attend. Italy will miss a third consecutive World Cup.
- Nigeria: Eliminated by DR Congo. Victor Osimhen will not feature.
- Poland: Eliminated by Sweden in a 3-2 playoff defeat. Robert Lewandowski and Matty Cash will not be at the tournament.
- Hungary: Failed to qualify. Dominik Szoboszlai will be absent.
Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard are confirmed for the tournament after Norway qualified to Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Iraq. Both are fit and expected to feature in Norway’s group stage campaign.
Which Nations Have Been Hit Hardest
Brazil have absorbed the most damage. Rodrygo and Militao are out, while Estevao and Cunha remain in serious doubt, all from a squad that was expected to challenge for the trophy. Coach Carlo Ancelotti faces a major reshuffle in attack and defense ahead of the opener against Morocco at MetLife Stadium on June 13.
Germany face goalkeeper and attacking concerns with ter Stegen and Gnabry both impacted. Argentina have lost defensive depth through Foyth and Carboni and will hope Romero returns in time. France lose Ekitike and Kamara entirely and continue to monitor Mbappe.
The United States, as co-hosts, lose Agyemang from a thin striker pool. Mexico are without first-choice goalkeeper Malagon, though Ochoa offers a familiar fallback. Tottenham alone has lost three confirmed World Cup names: Simons (Netherlands), Kudus (Ghana), and Romero is a serious doubt for Argentina.
Final Word
The World Cup 2026 injury list is fluid, and the next four weeks of medical updates will reshape several squads. The confirmed absences of Rodrygo, Ekitike, Gnabry, Simons, Militao, Agyemang, Branthwaite, Grealish, Kamara, and Malagon have already changed the title race calculus, while the doubts surrounding Salah, Yamal, Mbappe, Hakimi, Estevao, and Romero will dominate headlines until each nation submits its final 26 names by June 1.
Bookmark this page for verified updates as squads are announced and final fitness calls are made.
