Mexico Star Midfielder Still Set on World Cup Despite Tearing ACL—Report

One of El Tri’s best players of the past year is willing to risk it all in order to feature in the 2026 World Cup.

Marcel Ruiz refuses to let his 2026 World Cup dreams vanish. | Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images

Mexico national team midfielder Marcel Ruiz is reportedly trying to postpone knee surgery on his torn ACL as long as possible in hopes that conservative treatment can suffice for him to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Ruiz’s World Cup dreams appeared to be completely shattered when it was announced he suffered the dreaded knee injury while playing for Toluca in the Concacaf Champions Cup on March 11, exactly three months before Mexico’s tournament debut vs. South Africa.

The 25-year-old has been out of action since the incident, but reports suggest that not all hope is lost for Ruiz, given the injury isn’t as serious as originally thought, and a plan has been put in motion between the player and his club in an effort to help him make his World Cup debut this summer.

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Marcel Ruiz’s Plan to Play in 2026 World Cup

Toluca wore shirts supporting Marcel Ruiz in their first home game after his injury. | Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

Reports signal that Ruiz sought the opinion of three different knee specialists, and the diagnosis is that the anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee is only partially torn. Furthermore, his knee is stable, firm and not moving out of place.

Together with Toluca, Ruiz has decided to undergo a strength and conditioning treatment, in an effort to build muscle mass on his right leg to further support the knee and avoid aggravating the injury.

Ruiz will follow this rehabilitation program for three weeks before getting another MRI to assess the state of his injured knee. Depending on the results of that test, a decision will be made to determine if surgery is unavoidable, or if the player can avoid going under the knife and keep the dream of featuring in the World Cup alive.

If the results of the test are positive, the intention is for Ruiz to return to training on the pitch and even perhaps feature in the final games Toluca will play in the Liga MX Clausura 2026 regular season.

All of this process is being carefully monitored by Mexico’s medical staff and manager Javier Aguirre, who also had a telling comment regarding Ruiz’s injury.

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Javier Aguirre Will Wait Until The End For Marcel Ruiz

Javier Aguirre has been forced to navigate through Mexico’s injury crisis. | Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

Ruiz featured in 17 consecutive games for El Tri since last summer’s Gold Cup until his injury, and he was all but guaranteed to start for Mexico in the World Cup. Ruiz missed El Tri’s March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in the aftermath of his injury, but following the camp, manager Aguirre still refused to shut the door on the midfielder’s miraculous recovery.

“Right now, I wouldn’t dare discarding a name [for the World Cup roster],” Aguirre said after the match vs. Belgium, via Azteca Deportes. “Because even Marcel, we have information that he’s very eager of being there [in the World Cup], and he’s doing everything in his power.”

Aguirre previously declared that he would not include any player that isn’t fully fit in El Tri’s tournament roster. However, with Mexico currently immersed in a major injury crisis, Aguirre also said he’ll wait for his injured talents "until the final day.”

Hope has been restored for Ruiz, and the objective is clearly set. Still, the best midfielder in Liga MX unquestionably faces an uphill battle and a significant race against the clock to be ready in time for represent El Tri in the 2026 World Cup.

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