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Rodrygo to miss World Cup 2026 with knee injury: Real Madrid, Brazil star set for months out with ACL tear, per reports originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Real Madrid and Brazil star Rodrygo looks set to miss the 2026 World Cup.

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The winger did not show any signs of significant discomfort during Madrid’s shock 1-0 home defeat to Getafe on March 2, but by the following morning has succumbed to a significant injury.

Reports a day after the match indicated that Rodrygo had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which will almost certainly rule him out of this year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

He would, of course, also miss the remainder of Madrid’s season and likely the start of next campaign as well. They have 12 matches remaining in La Liga as they attempt to haul in Barcelona in the title race, and they face Manchester City in the Round of 16 of the Champions League this month.

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Rodrygo to miss World Cup 2026 with knee injury

Initially reported by Spanish publications AS and Marca on March 3 and later confirmed by Real Madrid, Rodrygo has torn the ACL and MCL in his right knee and will miss a significant spell of action.

AS said the first serious injury of the 25-year-old’s senior career is expected to keep him out of action around six or seven months.

That would see him sit out the remainder of 2025/26 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be held in the United States this coming summer. He would likely need some time at the start of the 2026/27 club campaign as well, with his recovery window not concluded until September.

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How was Rodrygo injured?

On March 2, Rodrygo entered the 1-0 loss to Getafe in the 55th minute, coming off the bench to replace 18-year-old Thiago Pitarch on his full Madrid debut.

Rodrygo finished the match, playing the final 35 minutes of the game, and there was no indication that he had picked up an injury. In fact, he was a major component of Madrid’s attempted comeback, contributing to multiple scoring opportunities late in the game.

In the aftermath of the match, AS reported that Rodrygo’s injury occurred in the 66th minute, when he was challenged by Adrian Liso and his plant leg caught in the turf. The Brazilian was in pain for a short while, but shook it off to play the remainder of the match.

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Only after the game were there concerns about his knee, and according to the AS report, his worry only increased the following morning when significant pain was felt.

Is Rodrygo a key player for Brazil?

While the 25-year-old has become a main contributor for Brazil, his struggles over the past calendar year and the emergence of other attacking players have seen his role diminish within the national team.

Rodrygo started just two games for Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, failing to score and logging one assist.

In the four years since that tournament, Rodrygo has scored eight international goals, but only three of those have come in competitive action. He did not find the back of the net at the 2024 Copa America, and he was left out of the international squad for the final four World Cup qualifiers as Brazil looked to secure a place in the 2026 tournament.

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In the end, Brazil have plenty of talented attacking players to make up for his absence.

When does the World Cup start?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on June 11 and run through the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

Drawn into Group C, Brazil’s first game is against Morocco, also at MetLife Stadium, on June 13. They will then play matches against Haiti and Scotland to conclude group stage play.

Should Brazil qualify for the knockout stage, they would likely be drawn against a qualifier from Group F (Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B winner).

Brazil World Cup 2026 schedule

Group stage

Knockout stage

Round of 32

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Third-place match

Final