Rodrygo has suffered a cruciate ligament injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season and the World Cup for Brazil

Real Madrid said on Tuesday that winger Rodrygo Goes has suffered a serious knee injury and is expected to remain out of the 2026 World Cup with the Brazil national football team this summer.

«Following the tests carried out today by the Real Madrid medical service on our player Rodrygo, he was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right leg,» Los Blancos said in a statement.

Rodrygo appeared as a substitute in Madrid’s 1-0 La Liga home defeat to Getafe CF on Monday, where he suffered the injury.

The 25-year-old remained on the field but tests revealed the severity of his injury on Tuesday.

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Rodrygo had only just returned to action after a month’s absence due to tendonitis.

Carlo Ancelotti, formerly Rodrygo’s coach at Real Madrid, will not be able to call on the striker for record five-time winners Brazil’s bid to secure a sixth World Cup trophy in the United States this summer.

Real Madrid will also miss the forward, especially with French superstar Kylian Mbappe currently sidelined with a sprained knee.

Alvaro Arbeloa has just three fit strikers available – Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García and Franco Mastantuono – ahead of next week’s UEFA Champions League match against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Published on March 3, 2026