JAKARTA - Japanese midfielder Takumi Minamino suffered an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury in his left knee while playing for AS Monaco and is almost certainly out of the 2026 World Cup.
Minamino was injured in the Coupe de France on Sunday, December 21, 2025, against Auxerre.
AS Monaco informed on Monday, December 22, 2025, local time, that the medical examination revealed a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament.
Players usually take up to nine months to recover from an ACL injury.
Japan will begin the 2026 World Cup on June 14 against the Netherlands at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Blue Samurai will also play against Tunisia and the winner of the European playoff round which could be Poland or Ukraine.
Minamino, who will turn 31 next month, scored four goals as Japan were among the first teams to qualify for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The former Liverpool and Salzburg player has made 73 appearances for Japan, including three at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and scoring 26 goals.
Minamino will also miss Monaco's remaining Champions League matches in January 2026 against Real Madrid and host Juventus.
AS Monaco is now in 19th place out of 36 teams after six rounds of this season's Champions League. Meanwhile, in Ligue 1, they are in ninth place.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
Most Popular Tags
#Prabowo Subianto #donald trump #2026 World Cup #bgn #konflik timur tengahPopular
