Rodrygo Out for Season
Real Madrid's Rodrygo suffered a torn ACL and is out for the entire season, ruling him out of the upcoming World Cup. This is a massive blow to both Madrid's title ambitions and Brazil's national team, as Rodrygo had been in excellent form before the injury.
The injury occurred just as Rodrygo was hitting his stride, having registered three goals and three assists in his last six starts for Madrid. Before this run, the 25-year-old had contributed a total of four goals and assists in the 2025/2026 La Liga season. This setback is particularly cruel as Rodrygo had just returned from a month-long absence due to tendonitis. He sustained the ACL and meniscus rupture in his right leg shortly after coming on as a substitute in the match against Getafe. For Real Madrid, the timing is catastrophic. The club is already without star forward Kylian Mbappé due to a knee sprain. This leaves them with only two fit senior attackers, Vinícius Junior and Gonzalo Garcia, ahead of a crucial Champions League round of 16 match against Manchester City. The loss is just as significant for the Brazilian national team, coached by former Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti praised Rodrygo's versatility and considered him a key tactical piece for the 2026 World Cup, capable of playing across the frontline. This injury marks a dramatic turn of events for a player who faced an uncertain future just last summer. In August 2025, Real Madrid was reportedly considering selling Rodrygo, with multiple Premier League clubs interested for a fee around €100m.
