Report: Mexico star Santiago Gimenez risks missing 2026 World Cup amid injury struggles at Milan
Santiago Gimenez has been struggling to play consistently with AC Milan, and that could impact his chances of featuring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Mexico. Mexico are entering the final stretch of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, meaning players are fighting for their last opportunities to make the roster. In that context, Santiago Gimenez’s physical struggles at AC Milan could prove decisive. “People close to Santi are fearing a catastrophe for the Milan striker,” journalist Carlos Ponce de Leon of Mexican outlet Diario Record said this week. “They fear he could miss out on a second consecutive World Cup.” This report has surfaced this week for a specific reason. On Tuesday, Javier Aguirre confirmed a preliminary list of 12 Liga MX players who will begin training next week with a view toward the World Cup. While the list is not binding—and therefore does not guarantee a spot on the final roster—it offers a clear indication of the coach’s plans. Among those 12 players are two center forwards. One is Armando Gonzalez of Chivas, who was expected to be included, as reports suggest he is competing for a spot with Inter Miami’s German Berterame. The surprise, however, was the inclusion of another player with a similar profile: Guillermo Martinez. Javier Aguirre, coach of Mexico and Rafael Marquez, Assistant Coach. The 30-year-old forward has impressed recently with Pumas UNAM, where he has recorded five goals in 15 matches in the Liga MX Clausura tournament. Martinez has already been called up by Javier Aguirre twice this year: he played 24 minutes against Iceland in February and was an unused substitute during the March FIFA international window against Portugal and Belgium. Santiago Gimenez needs to regain full fitness Under normal circumstances, Santiago Gimenez’s place at the World Cup would not be threatened by Guillermo Martinez’s performances at Pumas. However, the recent track record of the AC Milan striker is far from encouraging. Gimenez has scored just one goal in the 2025-26 season and has made only 14 appearances across Serie A and the Coppa Italia. An ankle injury suffered in November required surgery and kept him sidelined for nearly five months, until his return in mid-March. Since then, the Mexican striker has logged just 67 minutes across three Serie A matches with AC Milan—against Torino, Napoli, and Hellas Verona— all coming off the bench, while also remaining an unused substitute on three other occasions. Gimenez has yet to debut at the World Cup Despite being one of Mexico’s most promising players in recent years, Santiago Gimenez has yet to appear at a World Cup. He was left out of the squad for Qatar 2022 by then-head coach Gerardo Martino, who opted for other forwards such as Raul Jimenez, Henry Martin, and Rogelio Funes Mori. In the years following that tournament, Gimenez established himself as a regular call-up under successive managers, including Diego Cocca, Jaime Lozano, and Javier Aguirre. However, his recent injury issues have once again pushed him out of contention, with his last appearance for Mexico coming in October 2025 against Ecuador.