Injury - Soccer Wiretap

Manchester City midfielder Rodri will undergo surgery for a back injury, though a timeline for his return remains uncertain. The Spain captain won the Golden Ball at this summer's World Cup after leading his country to its first title since 2010, starting all eight matches at the tournament.

Rodri's future at City remains unresolved, with just one year left on his contract. Talks between the club and the 30-year-old are expected with the World Cup now over, though sources indicate he has shown little willingness to commit to an extension so far.

Rodri has been repeatedly linked with a move to Real Madrid and has previously expressed a desire to return to Spain at some point in his career, though sources told The Athletic that Madrid currently has no plans to pursue him.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner has struggled with injuries since rupturing his ACL in September 2024, an injury that sidelined him for nearly all of the 2024-25 season. Fitness issues continued into last season, with hamstring and groin problems limiting him to 33 total appearances and just 17 Premier League starts.

Rodri was central to City's treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan while making 56 appearances across all competitions that season, a year that also included Premier League and FA Cup titles.

City has already taken steps to offset Rodri's continued absence, signing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer in a $155.4 million deal. The Athletic also reported July 21 that Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez are considered likely departures, while Bernardo Silva has already left the club following the expiration of his contract as he will join Real Madrid.

Arsenal confirmed that defender William Saliba will not require surgery for a back injury sustained during the World Cup, though the 25-year-old faces an extended period on the sidelines. Saliba was substituted after 30 minutes of France's 2-0 semifinal loss to Spain, having started all but one of France's matches at the tournament.

Saliba went down in what appeared to be a routine moment, kicking the ball out of play and immediately calling for medical attention. Arsenal addressed the injury in a club statement.

"William Saliba has returned to us from World Cup duty," Arsenal said. "Subsequent specialist reviews on William's return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation. Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme. William's rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period. Everyone is fully focused on supporting William to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible."

Saliba made 50 appearances for Arsenal last season, ranking third among the club's outfield players in total minutes played. He had been managing back discomfort even before the tournament began, addressing the issue publicly ahead of France's group match against Iraq.

"I've had some minor niggles for several months," said Saliba. "I've been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well."

Saliba's injury has added urgency to Arsenal's pursuit of a new central defender this summer. England international John Stones, who left Manchester City last month after his contract expired, is among the club's targets. Stones previously worked alongside Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for three seasons during Arteta's tenure as a City assistant coach, having joined the club the same summer as Arteta in 2016. Stones made five appearances for England at this year's World Cup, starting three matches.

Arsenal also holds interest in Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, though a significant gap remains between the two clubs' valuations of the player.

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will need extra time before rejoining Inter Miami's MLS schedule following their World Cup run with Argentina, sources told ESPN Monday. Both players featured in Sunday's 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the final, with De Paul playing the full 120 minutes and Messi appearing in all eight of Argentina's matches, starting seven.

FIFPRO, the global players' union, has pushed for a mandatory 21-day rest period at the end of each season for player health. FIFA addressed the recommendation in a statement following discussions with FIFPRO in 2025.

"FIFA and the player unions reviewed upcoming joint projects involving the world's football governing body and players' representative organisations, with a specific focus on player rest and recovery, as well as competitions within the context of the International Match Calendar (IMC)," FIFA said. "There is a consensus that there must be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and that players should have a rest period/holiday of at least 21 days at the end of each season."

It remains unclear whether Messi and De Paul will sit out the full recommended window, as their time off will be coordinated individually with Inter Miami. Sources confirmed both players will miss Wednesday's match against Chicago Fire FC and Saturday's game against CF Montreal.

Miami has also informed MLS that Messi and De Paul will be unavailable for the MLS All-Star Game on July 29, since the date falls within the 21-day rest window. Both players had been selected to face the Liga MX All-Stars in that exhibition.

Messi finished the World Cup with eight goals and four assists, placing second in the Golden Boot race behind France's Kylian Mbappe, who scored 10. He led Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final appearance after winning the tournament in 2022.

Messi reflected on the loss in a social media post Monday.

"The pain is immense and it will take time for this wound to heal," wrote Messi. "But I also cherish all the good. The matches we turned around, giving our all, which will forever remain in our memories, the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work and effort of this group, led us to be, once again, among the best in the world. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. I also want to congratulate Spain on the championship."

Messi also became the first player to start three World Cup finals this summer, having previously started the 2014 final against Germany and the 2022 final against France, while pushing his career international goal total to 125.

Bukayo Saka said he would have welcomed a larger role for England at the World Cup, insisting he was fully fit throughout the tournament. The Arsenal winger scored a hat-trick in England's 6-4 win over France in Saturday's third-place playoff in Miami.

Saka started the match at Hard Rock Stadium, just three days after manager Thomas Tuchel chose not to use him off the bench during England's 2-1 semifinal loss to Argentina. Tuchel had rotated Saka throughout the tournament while managing an Achilles issue, starting Noni Madueke on the right side of the attack to open the group stage and preferring Morgan Rogers against Argentina.

Saka ultimately featured in seven of England's eight matches, starting three of them.

"I would have loved to have played a bigger part but it's too late to talk about that now," Saka told the BBC after the match. "I try to do my talking on the pitch. I'm fit."

England's win over France secured the team's best World Cup result since winning the tournament in 1966, despite the disappointment of the semifinal loss to Argentina.

"We had some amazing results, we fell short against Argentina and it hurts a lot," said Saka. "We have to hold our head high and move on to the next one."

England's collapse against Argentina, in which the team led with five minutes remaining before ultimately losing, has fueled criticism of Tuchel's tactics and speculation about his future with the national team. Saka addressed the scrutiny surrounding the manager.

"It's part of the game," said Saka. "When you lose there is always going to be noise, when you win there is always going to be noise. It's how you react to it and use it as fuel. We finished strong today and that's all we could really do."

Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro trained apart from their Spain teammates Thursday during the squad's first session in New Jersey, but both are expected to be available for Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina. Sources told ESPN the separate training was a precautionary workload management measure rather than a sign of serious injury.

Yamal and Porro played 84 and 90 minutes, respectively, in Tuesday's semifinal win over France and finished the match fatigued with some physical discomfort. Porro was substituted in the 85th minute after experiencing muscle discomfort, with manager Luis de la Fuente saying Wednesday that the Tottenham defender is dealing with muscle overload and will undergo further evaluation before the final.

De la Fuente offered a positive update on Yamal following the France match.

"As far as I know, Lamine has nothing serious. I've just spoken with the medical staff, and everything looks positive," said de la Fuente.

Yamal has logged 496 minutes across the tournament and started every match except Spain's opener against Cape Verde. Porro has started five of Spain's seven matches, totaling 444 minutes and scoring goals against Austria in the round of 32 and again against France in the semifinal.

Sunday's final will mark just the second time Spain has played an outdoor match this tournament. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has triggered health alerts across much of the northeastern United States in recent days, though rain expected over the weekend should help clear conditions in New Jersey ahead of the match.

Kylian Mbappe insisted he suffered only a minor ankle injury after France defeated Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup semifinals Thursday. The 27-year-old exited in the 77th minute but returned to celebrate with his teammates after the final whistle.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the second half with a goal that tied him with Lionel Messi at eight goals in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot. Ousmane Dembele added France's second goal to secure the result.

Mbappe had a rare miss in the first half when goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved his penalty, awarded after Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui brought him down. The Real Madrid forward left the match in the 77th minute, raising his arm to the bench and lying down before stretching out his right leg with a medical professional present.

Television cameras later showed Mbappe on the bench with ice on his right foot as the match continued. He did not appear to be in serious distress, waving to the crowd and high-fiving teammates while walking off.

"I have a minor ankle injury, but I'm completely fine," said Mbappe after the match. "(Jean-Philippe) Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That's all that happened."

Mbappe has played all 90 minutes in France's matches against Senegal and Paraguay, with coach Didier Deschamps resting him for stretches against Iraq, Norway and Sweden. France coach Didier Deschamps offered a positive update on his star forward's fitness ahead of next Tuesday's semifinal in Dallas against Spain or Belgium.

"He has a slight pain in his ankle, but nothing serious," said Deschamps, via Spanish outlet Cope.

Christian Pulisic sustained a bone bruise and microfracture in his leg during the United States' 4-1 World Cup loss to Belgium, according to sources briefed on the diagnosis who spoke with The Athletic. The forward is expected to miss several weeks, though not months.

Pulisic appeared to suffer the injury in the 52nd minute after his shot attempt collided with Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans' leg. He continued playing for several minutes before being substituted in the 59th minute.

"I just totally twisted my ankle and my knee in one play," said Pulisic following the match.

Medical evaluations later confirmed the injury as a bone bruise and microfracture of the tibia and fibula, according to sources. Pulisic was seen using crutches at the team hotel the following day.

The recovery timeline suggests Pulisic could return to action in August, potentially in time for AC Milan's Serie A opener against Torino on August 23.

This marked Pulisic's second injury of the tournament. He previously left the Paraguay match at halftime with a calf injury that also sidelined him against Australia, before returning for the Turkey match and starting against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pulisic drew criticism following his postgame comments to Fox regarding the injury.

"It's just frustrating to end like that, of course, but now I have time to rest, so hopefully it'll be OK," said Pulisic.

Former USWNT star Carli Lloyd criticized the remarks on social media.

"You rest when your playing career is over. Period," wrote Lloyd.

AC Milan coach Ruben Amorim addressed Pulisic's situation Wednesday, expressing confidence in the winger heading into next season.

"I know he had some criticism after the World Cup elimination, but I am here to say we believe a lot in him, and have a clear plan to use all the qualities that he has," said Amorim. "Pulisic is really important for us."

Real Madrid is making significant changes to its medical department following widespread fitness issues last season, including the misdiagnosis of Kylian Mbappe's knee injury after staff scanned the wrong leg.

Felipe Segura, who led the medical department until his demotion in January, is departing the club. Fellow staff member Manolo Arroyo recently resigned as well, according to The Athletic.

Niko Mihic, who replaced Segura in January, is spearheading the restructuring effort. The Mbappe misdiagnosis occurred one month before Mihic's promotion, though Mbappe later denied the error had taken place.

Madrid is also expected to hire Alexandre Creuze, currently head of Monaco's medical department, to join the reshaped staff. Creuze joined Monaco in 2018, after Mbappe had already departed for Paris Saint-Germain.

The changes coincide with Jose Mourinho's return as head coach. Mourinho begins work Friday, with staff meetings expected before players report for testing and training Monday.

Madrid's fitness coaching department is undergoing changes as well. Antonio Dias, who previously worked with Mourinho at Benfica, is expected to join the club. Longtime fitness coach Antonio Pintus appears likely to remain in his role.

Injuries have plagued Madrid across the past two seasons, prompting multiple staffing changes within the medical and fitness departments. A significant shift occurred in December, when concerns over injury management contributed to growing scrutiny of then-coach Xabi Alonso.

Only three first-team players, Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz and Vinicius Junior, avoided injury entirely last season.

Madrid president Florentino Perez addressed the club's struggles during a May interview.

"We didn't do things the way we wanted this year," said Perez. "I think it all started with the Club World Cup. We didn't have a proper pre-season and that led to 28 injuries when we changed coaches, and now we've had another 28."

Several players, including Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Jude Bellingham and Mbappe, traveled with Mihic during the season to consult outside specialists regarding their injuries.

Christian Pulisic said he was disappointed in his own performance following the United States' 4-1 loss to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16, an exit that saw him depart early with injury.

The AC Milan forward was substituted in the 59th minute after suffering a right ankle injury, replaced by Sebastian Berhalter. Pulisic went down in visible pain after a challenge with Belgium's Youri Tielemans, though no foul was called.

"I just totally twisted my ankle and my knee in one play," said Pulisic. "I mean, whatever. I have time to rest. It's just unfortunate way to finish."

The injury marked Pulisic's second of the tournament. He also battled a calf issue after a strong start against Paraguay, ultimately finishing the World Cup without a goal and just one assist.

"I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high," said Pulisic. "Yeah, it's disappointing. I didn't quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team.

"I'm disappointed with myself, of course, but I'm going to try to stay positive. I did a lot of good things and the team did as well."

Belgium advanced behind two goals from Charles De Ketelaere and one each from Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku. Malik Tillman scored the lone U.S. goal in the defeat.

Pulisic credited Belgium's tactical approach rather than a lack of effort from his own team.

"Belgium had a good game plan and they played balls in behind us when we pressed and caused a lot of problems," said Pulisic. "Won a lot of second balls and they were good in the boxes. That's what it comes down to and they were clinical."

Pulisic said he plans to rest before returning to preseason training with AC Milan under new manager Ruben Amorim.

Christian Pulisic says he is prepared to play a full match if necessary as the United States faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday. The forward appears to have shaken off the calf injury that hampered him earlier in the tournament.

Pulisic told reporters Tuesday that he feels fully recovered. The issue forced him to sit out the group-stage match against Australia and limited him to just 32 minutes against Turkiye.

"I felt great in the game, the last game against Turkiye," said Pulisic. "So feeling good this week and yeah, I'm definitely ready to go for Wednesday."

Defender Auston Trusty returned to training Tuesday after recovering from an ankle problem. Midfielder Cristian Roldan was limited to modified work and is considered day-to-day, though his availability for Wednesday looks doubtful. Defender Mark McKenzie sat out entirely due to foot irritation.

The topic of penalty shootouts loomed large after two Monday round-of-32 matches were decided that way. Pulisic acknowledged the mental toll facing any player who steps up to take one.

"It's an extremely hard thing to do for sure ... so the people that go up and shoot takes a lot of courage and it's not easy," said Pulisic. "Goalkeepers get better and better every single year. Yeah, I think everyone has their individual style and you just go with what you feel most confident."

Pulisic added he does not expect the Americans to struggle finding volunteers if it comes to that.

"The guys who feel the most confident to go up and shoot will want to go shoot. I think that's normal," he said. "There'll be some players that maybe don't want to as much and don't feel as good. I don't think it's necessarily a big problem.

"Yeah, I'm not sure. I mean, we haven't been in many shootouts with these guys, but I feel it's a pretty brave courageous team. I feel like guys will give it a go."

With 13 players from the 2022 World Cup squad still on the current roster, Pulisic believes that experience gives the USMNT an edge entering the knockout stage.

"We're ready for this moment," said Pulisic. "I think we've had some good performances this World Cup, and having that experience last time definitely can allow us to go into this just a little bit of a clear mind, and just more prepared for sure."