MADRID — The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has hit a significant detour for two of football’s brightest stars. With the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico just 45 days away, the “injury bug” currently sweeping through European leagues has claimed its highest-profile victims yet: France captain Kylian Mbappé and Dutch playmaker Xavi Simons.
Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappé has suffered an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg. The 27-year-old forward was forced off during Friday’s frustrating 1-1 draw against Real Betis.
While the club’s official statement noted they are “awaiting progress,” Spanish media outlets are reporting a bleaker reality. It is feared Mbappé could miss the remainder of Real Madrid’s domestic campaign — including a pivotal clash against Barcelona on May 10 — and, more importantly, faces a race against time to be fit for France’s World Cup opener in June.
For Real Madrid, the timing is disastrous. The 15-time European champions are limping toward the finish line of a season to forget as they currently trail LaLiga leaders Barcelona by 11 points with five matches to play, having also been eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
While Mbappé’s status remains “wait-and-see,” the news for the Netherlands is definitive. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Xavi Simons will miss the World Cup after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Simons, who had to be stretchered off in the 63rd minute, confirmed the news in a poignant Instagram post on Sunday.
“They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way,” Simons wrote. “My season has come to an abrupt end… Representing my country this summer… just gone.”
The 23-year-old was expected to be a cornerstone of Ronald Koeman’s squad. His absence is a double-edged sword, as Tottenham currently sits 18th in the Premier League, fighting a desperate battle against relegation without their primary creative spark.
The injuries to Mbappé and Simons are not isolated incidents but part of a concerning trend impacting national team selections worldwide. The 2025/26 season has been one of the most congested in history, leading to a spike in fatigue-related injuries.
Managers across the globe are sweating over their final 26-man squads as the medical rooms at top clubs reach capacity.
Prominent players whose World Cup participation is at risk include:
Reece James (recurring muscle)
Mohamed Salah (hamstring)
Lamine Yamal (hamstring)
Serge Gnabry (hamstring)
Rodrygo (ACL)
Hugo Ekitike (ruptured Achilles tendon)
Eder Militao (hamstring)
Alisson Becker (hamstring)
Marc-André ter Stegen (back/muscle problems)
Cristian Romero (collateral ligament)
The physical toll of an expanded Champions League format and a relentless domestic calendar has sparked debate among players’ unions. For fans, the fear is that the 2026 World Cup — the largest in history — may be deprived of the very stars who were meant to define it.
With the June 11 kickoff fast approaching, the focus in Madrid and London has shifted from tactics to orthopaedics, as the world waits to see who else might be “snatched away” from the summer’s biggest stage.
