Mexico National Team Lose Young Star to Injury Affecting 2026 World Cup Plans

FC Copenhagen confirmed Rodrigo Huescas will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

Rodrigo Huescas left the pitch in tears after injuring his knee. / Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP/Getty Images

The Mexico national team suffered a massive blow this week, as it was confirmed Rodrigo Huescas will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a major knee injury.

Huescas was playing for FC Copenhagen in the Champions League against Qarabağ FK when the injury occurred. The 22-year-old was fighting for the ball when his right leg got stuck in the ground and moved awkwardly, resulting in him leaving the pitch after just 13 minutes.

Further tests confirmed Huescas will be out of the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, Copenhagen confirmed.

“On Thursday evening, Rodrigo [Huescas] underwent a scan back home in Copenhagen, which unfortunately confirmed that the injury is as serious as initially feared,” the club wrote in a statement.

“This means Rodrigo [Huescas] now faces surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period, and he will be out for the rest of the season at the very least.”

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World Cup Dream All But Over For Rodrigo Huescas

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The Cruz Azul academy graduate was one of El Tri’s best players during September friendlies, bagging his first assist for El Tri in his third appearance. With Mexico currently struggling to find solid right back alternatives, Huescas looked to be El Tri’s best option for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Now, Mexico’s lone representative in the 2025–26 Champions League league phase will almost certainly miss next summer’s World Cup.

In a matter of three months, two Mexico players have suffered serious knee injuries. Midfielder Luis Chávez tore his ACL during the 2025 Gold Cup, facing an uphill challenge to be ready in time for the World Cup.

Javier Aguirre has nine months to assess his right back options, with Jorge Sánchez and Julián Araújo emerging as the most likely candidates to cover the right flank for El Tri next summer.

“He has shown continuous development and was on the verge of a major breakthrough in Europe,” FC Copenhagen manager Jacob Neestrup said. “He was also looking ahead to a home World Cup in Mexico next summer, had he continued his strong performances.”

“We are truly saddened on Rodrigo’s [Huescas] behalf. It takes a strong mentality to come back from something like this, and we will support him every step of the way.”

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