The World Cup 2026 will be played in USA, Mexico, and Canada and is the 23rd edition. The opening match is on June 11, and the final will be played on July 19. This World Cup features a record 48 participating nations, making it the largest World Cup ever.
World Cup 2026
A list of soccer players who have previously suffered a torn ACL and are now competing in the 2026 World Cup
Team ACL at the 2026 World Cup
In this overview of Team ACL, we’ve compiled a list of all players who have ever suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury across all national teams.
These players are on their national teams and will represent Team ACL! The final will be played on July 19. Which Team ACL player(s) will make it to this final… How successful can you be after your ACL rehab?!
TEAM ACL SQUAD
2026 WORLD CUP
Goalkeepers:
Thibaut Courtois 🇧🇪 2023
Mark Flekken 🇳🇱
Defenders:
Virgil van Dijk 🇳🇱 2020
Jurriën Timber 🇳🇱 2023
Alphonso Davies 🇨🇦 2025
Sergino Dest 🇺🇸 2024
Lisandro Martinez 🇦🇷 2025
Gleison Bremer 🇧🇷 2024
Lucas Hernandez 🇫🇷 2022
Antonio Rüdiger 🇩🇪 2016
David Alaba 🇦🇹 2023
Nikola Katić 🇧🇦 2020
Sead Kolašinac 🇧🇦 2014
Shurandy Sambo 🇨🇼 2018 & 2021
Midfielders:
Rodri 🇪🇸 2024
Gavi 🇪🇸 2023
Florian Wirtz 🇩🇪 2022
Rodrigo Bentancur 🇺🇾 2023
Ryan Thomas 🇳🇿 2018 & 2021
Xaver Schlager 🇦🇹 2021 & 2024
Amir Hadžiahmetović 🇧🇦 2024
Ivan Perišić 🇭🇷 2023
Forwards:
Memphis Depay 🇳🇱 2019
Leroy Sané 🇩🇪 2019
Mikal Oyarzabal 🇪🇸 2022
Sasa Kalajdzic 🇦🇹 2019 & 2022 & 2024
Neymar Jr. 🇧🇷 2023
Tahith Chong 🇨🇼 2017
Darwin Nunez 🇺🇾 2017
Team ACL Stay-at-Home team
Unfortunately, there are always players who would almost certainly have made the World Cup if they hadn’t torn their anterior cruciate ligaments recently, such as:
Jerdy Schouten 🇳🇱 2026
Xavi Simons 🇳🇱 2026
Luuk de Jong 🇳🇱 2025
Ruben van Bommel 🇳🇱 2025
Quilindschy Hartman 🇳🇱 2021 & 2024
Rodrygo 🇧🇷 2026
Militão 🇧🇷 2023 & 2024
Dani Carvajal 🇪🇸 2024
Emre Can 🇩🇪 2026
Takumi Minamino 🇯🇵 2025
Levi Colwill 🇬🇧 2025
James Maddison 🇬🇧 2025
Marcelo Flores 🇨🇦 2026
The good news is that we’ll most likely see many of these players—the ones who stayed home—back in action in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain at the 2030 World Cup as members of Team ACL. Best of luck with your recovery…
Become a member at Team ACL
Are you a doctor, a physical therapist, an athletic trainer, a mental performance coach or a scientist and do you want to increase your visibility for ACL patients and professionals?