Mexico’s Injury Crisis Continues As Star Midfielder Ruled Out of 2026 World Cup
-06ad2d29b37d2cca1a44008a56289260.png "Roberto Casillas")
The Mexico national team received absolutely devastating news on Friday as it was confirmed that starting midfielder Marcel Ruiz tore his ACL and will miss the 2026 World Cup.
Ruiz sustained the injury while playing for Toluca in the Concacaf Champions Cup against MLS side San Diego FC. Ruiz was fighting for the ball with center back Manu Duah when he landed awkwardly on his right leg and immediately went to the ground grabbing at the back of his knee.
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The midfielder’s initial reaction was a mix of disbelief and visible fear, as if he instantly knew something had gone terribly wrong. Ruiz was able to exit the pitch gingerly but under his own power, which cast some optimism regarding the severity of his injury. That optimism disappeared emphatically when Toluca released a statement confirming the worst.
“[Toluca] informs that our player Marcel Ruiz suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus tear in his right knee during the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 in San Diego,” the statement read.
“Our midfielder will undergo surgery in the upcoming days, and his recovery time will depend on his evolution. All of us that are part of this institution regret the situation and we sympathize with him, wishing him a speedy recovery. Much strength, Marcel! We are with you.”
The estimated recovery timeline for the talented midfielder is between nine months to one year. In a matter of two days, Mexico lost two World Cup roster locks through injury, with goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagon also missing the tournament after tearing his Achilles tendon on Tuesday night.
Mexico Lose Best Midfielder in Liga MX For World Cup
Since the start of 2025, Ruiz went from a complete afterthought, to the most glaring omission from Javier Aguirre’s El Tri rosters, to an absolute lock to start come the 2026 World Cup.
At 25 years old, Ruiz reached his full potential and blossomed into the best midfielder in all of Liga MX, becoming the brains behind Toluca’s back-to-back titles. Ruiz’s unique physical traits are seldom seen in Mexican midfielders and with immense technical quality and high soccer IQ to match, Liga MX became his personal playground over the past year.
Aguirre finally gave him a shot with El Tri during the 2025 Gold Cup and after sitting out the opening game, he was named to the XI for the second match and ran away with his opportunity. Mexico would go on to win the 2025 Gold Cup and Ruiz has appeared in all 14 of El Tri’s games since sitting out its tournament debut, starting 13 of them.
Ruiz was a guaranteed starter for the 2026 World Cup and it appeared like a solid tournament performance was all that separated the 25-year-old from migrating to European soccer.
“Marcel, everyone in the Mexico national team and all of its fans are with you in these moments,” El Tri wrote on social media following Ruiz’s injury news. “We wish you the best in your recovery and a lot of strength. You’ll be back with everything!”
Mexico’s Midfield In Shambles With World Cup Fast Approaching
The state of Mexico’s midfield with less than 100 days to go before its World Cup debut is concerning to say the least. Although there’s some optimism regarding other talents, there’s a growing worry that Mexico’s starting midfield trio could all miss or barely be ready for the tournament.
Outside of Ruiz, Mexico’s captain Edson Álvarez underwent ankle surgery and won't be back until at least late April at best. Then, 17-year-old Mexican wonderkid Gilberto Mora hasn’t played since mid-January as he battles with pubalgia that hasn’t relented and there’s no timeline for the teenager’s return.
Mora’s breakout only happened after 2022 World Cup hero, Luis Chávez, who was a regular starter, tore his ACL halfway through the 2025 Gold Cup and is yet to play since last June.
Injuries are piling up dramatically for Aguirre and El Tri, causing a headache for the veteran manager, who’ll have to get creative with his roster selection for the March international friendlies in two weeks time.
Still, for a team that didn’t have an overwhelming amount of talent to begin with, the injury crisis Mexico is immersed in unquestionably compromises its 2026 World Cup hopes and no blow is more significant than Ruiz’s absence.
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