Brazil’s Rodrygo to miss World Cup with ACL injuryImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rodrygo played for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in QatarByMandeep SangheraBBC Sport journalistPublished3 March 2026, 16:12 GMTUpdated 16 minutes agoBrazil’s Real Madrid forward Rodrygo called it “one of the worst days of my life” after he was ruled out for the rest of the season and 2026 World Cup with a serious knee injury.The 25-year-old’s club reported, external he had “been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and a rupture of the lateral meniscus of his right leg”.
An ACL injury often leads to footballers missing most – and sometimes all – of a season and recovery can sometimes take even longer.
Rodrygo appeared as a second-half substitute for Real in their defeat by Getafe on Monday, completing the game after coming on in the 55th minute.
It was his first appearance since a late substitute outing for the La Liga club at the start of February.
“One of the worst days of my life, how much I always feared this injury,” Rodrygo wrote in a social media post., external
“Maybe life has been a little cruel to me lately, I don’t know if I deserve this, but what can I complain about? How many wonderful things I’ve experienced that I didn’t deserve either.”
Rodrygo made five appearances for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He added: “A major obstacle has arisen in my life, in my career, which prevents me from doing what I love most for a certain period of time.
“I’m out of the rest of the season with my club and out of the World Cup with my country, a dream that everyone knows how much it means to me. And all I can do is be strong as always, this is nothing new.
“Even though it’s a very difficult time, I promise not to stop here, I believe I still have many incredible things to experience and bring joy to everyone who trusts me.”
