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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| June 13 | Brazil vs. Morocco | 6 p.m. | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| June 19 | Brazil vs. Haiti | 9 p.m. | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) |
| June 24 | Scotland vs. Brazil | 6 p.m. | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL) |
Knockout stage
Round of 32
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | 3 p.m. | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | 4:30 p.m. | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | 9 p.m. | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | 1 p.m. | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | 5 p.m. | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | 1 p.m. | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | 9 p.m. | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | 12 p.m. | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | 8 p.m. | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | 4 p.m. | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | 7 p.m. | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | 3 p.m. | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | 11 p.m. | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | 6 p.m. | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | 9:30 p.m. | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | 2 p.m. | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | 1 p.m. | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | 5 p.m. | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | 4 p.m. | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | 8 p.m. | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | 3 p.m. | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | 8 p.m. | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | 12 p.m. | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | 4 p.m. | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | 4 p.m. | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | 3 p.m. | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | 5 p.m. | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | 9 p.m. | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | 3 p.m. | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | 3 p.m. | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third-place match
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | 5 p.m. | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | 3 p.m. | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |