Mauricio Pochettino suffer the first major absence in the USMNT as Johnny Cardoso is set to miss the 2026 World Cup due to a new injury. Mauricio Pochettino has entered the final stage of defining the 26-man roster that will represent the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2026 World Cup. With just one month before the tournament kicks off on home soil, the Argentine coach received a massive blow as Johnny Cardoso is now expected to miss the World Cup due to a significant ankle injury. Last Thursday, Atletico Madrid released a statement confirming that Cardoso sustained an ankle injury during a training session that he was unable to complete, immediately setting off alarm bells within the USMNT camp. “Johnny Cardoso suffers a high-grade sprain in his right ankle,” the official statement from the Spanish club read. Following the initial diagnosis, Atletico outlined the next steps for the midfielder as he entered the final phase of the 2025-26 season. “He will undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions in the gym, and the progress of his recovery will determine his return to competition,” the club stated. However, the outlook darkened significantly on Monday when Atletico Madrid reported that the injury was more severe than initially feared, involving joint damage. “Johnny Cardoso will have to undergo surgery to address the injury to his right ankle,” the updated statement read, delivering a heartbreaking update on the midfielder’s condition just weeks before the World Cup opener. Johnny Cardoso #15 of the United States against Belgium. With Cardoso now forced to undergo a surgical procedure, his timeline for a return has effectively ended his World Cup dreams. As reported by Ben Jacobs, the USMNT has remained in constant contact with the club, but sources from Atletico Madrid expect the midfielder to miss the tournament and target a return during the European preseason. Cardoso to miss second consecutive World Cup Since his debut in 2020, Johnny Cardoso has been viewed as a cornerstone of the next generation of USMNT talent, a status solidified by his high-profile move to Atletico Madrid. However, persistent injuries have plagued the midfielder, frequently sidelining him during the early stages of the Pochettino era. Cardoso’s fitness struggles began early in Pochettino’s tenure, as a knee injury forced him out of the manager’s first camp in October 2024. Since then, Pochettino has overseen 24 USMNT matches, yet Cardoso has only been able to feature in six of them, logging just 212 minutes and failing to establish a consistent rhythm in the central midfield. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Cardoso was left off the roster as a 21-year-old still developing at Brazilian side Internacional. Now 24 and reaching his prime in Spain, the midfielder faces the devastating reality of missing a second consecutive World Cup just as he seemed poised to play a major role for his country.
While the Liga MX playoffs are still being played, Javier Aguirre has taken the determination to exclude all players who don't report to Mexico's training camp from the 2026 World Cup squad. Javier Aguirre will lead Mexico into the 2026 World Cup on home soil, but the upcoming international window has already sparked a fresh controversy for El Tri. With several called-up players currently competing in the Liga MX playoffs, the Mexican Football Federation has issued a stark ultimatum: report to the national team camp or be left off the World Cup roster entirely. On April 28, the Mexico national team published a list of 20 Liga MX-based players summoned for the pre-tournament training camp ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The camp, set to open on May 6, precedes friendly matches against Ghana on May 22, Australia on May 30, and Serbia on June 4. The controversy erupted almost immediately, as several clubs are still involved in high-stakes competitions. Toluca requested a special exemption due to their CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg on May 6, while Chivas de Guadalajara’s ownership went a step further after the request, pulling five of their called-up players from the national team camp entirely to ensure they were available for the Liga MX quarterfinals against Tigres. Mexico federation’s ultimatum The second legs of the Liga MX Clausura quarterfinals are scheduled for May 9 and 10, and every competing club wants their best players available for a shot at advancing. The clash between the domestic postseason and the national team’s preparation schedule came to a head this week, prompting the federation to draw a firm line. La Selección Nacional de México informa: pic.twitter.com/ucCzxJ8uKX— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) May 6, 2026 The Mexican Football Federation released a pointed statement on Wednesday outlining the terms of the camp: “As published this past Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the Mexico National Team’s training camp for the three preparatory matches against Ghana, Australia, and Serbia—and for the World Cup—will begin this Wednesday, May 6, at 8:00 PM, with the 20 Liga MX players called up by head coach Javier Aguirre.“ The closing lines of the statement left no room for ambiguity. “All players must report to the Centro de Alto Rendimiento in Mexico City. Per instructions from the coaching staff, any player who fails to report to the camp today will be excluded from the World Cup,” the federation added. The decision has ignited the debate about whether Liga MX-based players benefit more from playoff experience or national team preparation, particularly at a time when their European counterparts are still in the middle of their own club seasons. The final World Cup roster is set to be announced on June 1, following the Ghana and Australia friendlies but before the final tuneup against Serbia, and the full fallout from the standoff between the federation and the clubs is still playing out.
