Concern arose as several top soccer players, such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Lamine Yamal, suffered injuries before the upcoming World Cup.
While Messi, Mbappe, and Yamal made it to their national teams for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, other players were not as lucky.
Hugo Ekitike, a forward for France, sustained a serious Achilles injury in April, likely sidelining him for more than six months and causing him to miss the World Cup and potentially the beginning of the next season with Liverpool.
Brazilian stars Rodrygo and Eder Militão are also out, along with Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry, who injured his adductor during training.
The biggest scare came from Messi, who left the field injured while playing for Inter Miami last month. Although included in coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad as Argentina aims to defend its title, it remains uncertain if Messi has fully recovered from what was initially termed as muscle fatigue.
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Yamal, an emerging star for Spain, missed the end of the season with Barcelona due to a hamstring injury, causing concerns about his participation in his first World Cup.
Reflecting on his injury, Yamal shared, “I was hoping it wasn’t serious, just a cramp, as the World Cup was approaching rapidly.”
Players and coaches have been increasingly vocal about the toll of a congested schedule, exacerbated by the recent expansion of tournaments like the World Cup and Champions League.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described the strain on players as “an accident waiting to happen.”
Confirmed Absences from the World Cup
Argentina: Joaquin Panichelli (ACL)
Brazil: Eder Militão (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL)
England: Ben White (medial ligament)
France: Hugo Ekitike (Achilles)
Germany: Serge Gnabry (adductor)
Netherlands: Xavi Simons (