Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has sustained a torn cruciate ligament (ACL) and a torn meniscus in his right knee, the club has confirmed.
Surgery is set to follow, which is expected to see the Brazil international sidelined for up to a year, ruling him out of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
“Following tests carried out today on our player Rodrygo by Real Madrid’s medical services, he has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a torn outer meniscus in his right leg,” a club statement read.
The 25-year-old came off the bench and played for more than half an hour in Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Getafe on Monday.
He becomes the fifth Madrid player to sustain an ACL injury since the summer of 2023, joining a list that also features goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, and Dani Carvajal. Defender Eder Militao has sustained the injury twice in recent seasons, in August 2023 and then in November 2024.
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Rodrygo, who has endured a difficult season in terms of minutes and goal contributions, revealed in an interview with Spanish news outlet AS in October that he suffered from personal issues towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign. He spoke about his physical and mental troubles, exacerbated by a packed footballing schedule.
In December, The Athletic reported that offers would be considered for the Brazilian in the January transfer window.
Rodrygo has scored three goals in 27 appearances, starting just six La Liga games and two Champions League fixtures.
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His long-term absence adds to Madrid’s ever-growing injury list. Jude Bellingham has been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury against Rayo Vallecano on February 1, while Militao has been sidelined with a hamstring problem since December 7.
Top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe has been experiencing knee pain since December, consequently missing several matches. The Athletic reported on Monday that the 27-year-old travelled to Paris for additional tests and treatment on his left knee injury, but the France captain is not expecting to undergo surgery at this time.
Madrid, who are second in La Liga and four points behind league leaders Barcelona, are next in action against Celta Vigo on Friday. They then host Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on March 11.
