Injuries

Neymar's injury woes continued on Wednesday when the Santos forward left the pitch in tears due to a left thigh problem in the first half of their 2-0 win over Atletico Mineiro in Brazil's Serie A.

The 33-year-old sustained a serious knee injury in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023 and has struggled to return to full fitness, though his recent form at Santos was rewarded with a call-up to the Brazil squad in March.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL during Sunday’s Concacaf Nations League third-place match vs. the United States. The Canadian’s personal team has pointed the blame at national team coach Jesse Marsch.

Nedal Huoseh, Davies’ agent, put out a scathing statement directed at Marsch claiming the American coach pressured Davies into playing the third-place game despite not being fully fit.

Alphonso Davies agent calls out Marsch

An Antonee Robinson injury is the last news that United States men’s national team fans wanted to hear ahead of the Concacaf Nations League semifinal on Thursday vs. Panama. Robinson is one of three U.S. players named to the initial roster that will be unavailable.

Johnny Cardoso and Auston Trusty will also miss the Nations League final four due to injury.

Antonee Robinson injury

Lionel Messi was not included in Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, with the forward missing out due to a muscle strain.

Why is Messi not playing for Argentina?

Brazil have called up teenage Real Madrid striker Endrick to replace the injured Neymar for this month's World Cup qualifiers, the country's FA announced on Friday.

Santos forward Neymar was set to make his return to the Brazil team after more than a year on the sidelines due to a knee injury suffered in late 2023.

However, the 33-year-old has been ruled out of World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina after sustaining a muscle injury.

Neymar injury sees him miss international break

Inter Miami are in hot water with their own fans after Lionel Messi didn’t appear in the matchday squad for Thursday’s Concacaf Champions Cup home game vs. Cavalier. 

Inter Miami gave no indication or warning that Messi wouldn’t be available for the game until the lineup was released. This left fans outraged as they paid top dollar to see him play at Chase Stadium only to learn he wouldn’t be on the field.

The backlash online came in droves.

Fans react to Messi absence vs Cavalier

Crystal Palace ace Jean-Philippe Mateta was removed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital during his side’s FA Cup match vs. Millwall on Saturday after being the victim of a horror tackle.

Palace chairman and co-owner Steve Parish gave an interview at halftime and called the tackle Mateta suffered, “the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”

The United States men’s national team faces a severe injury bug among the team’s strikers with the Concacaf Nations League semifinal and potential final just three weeks away. The USMNT striker injuries give head coach Mauricio Pochettino a daunting conundrum.

Here’s a list of U.S. strikers out with injury heading into March.

USMNT striker injuries

Let’s not forget Neymar was close to joining MLS this year…

Neymar Jr.’s highly-anticipated return to Brazil has already wrapped the 32-year-old into controversy, with the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker leading the charge among Brazilian Série A players opposing the use of artificial turf for league matches, demanding natural grass instead.

Neymar turf protest: demands natural grass stadiums in Brazil