Mexico’s World Cup Ambitions Dashed by Brutal Striker Injury Setback

Santiago Gimenez hasn’t played a single game since late October.

Santiago Gimenez has just one goal for AC Milan in 2025–26. / sportinfoto/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images

Mexico national team striker Santiago Gimenez’s nightmare season continues as it was confirmed he will undergo ankle surgery to fix an injury that has sidelined him since October.

Gimenez revealed in late October that he’d been playing through ankle pain for months before the discomfort worsened and he decided to stop. Originally, reports indicated he was set to miss around five weeks, but AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri revealed on Tuesday that surgery is required to get Gimenez back to full fitness.

“Gimenez will have surgery tomorrow [Dec. 18],” Allegri said prior to Milan’s clash with Napoli in the Italian Super Cup. “He spent some time undergoing conservative treatment and it was going well, but the ankle problem has worsened in recent days.

“He had a consultation and the doctors advised him to have surgery. I hope to have him back as soon as possible.”

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How Much Time Will Santiago Gimenez Miss After Ankle Surgery?

Santiago Gimenez hasn’t scored in Serie A this season. / Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images

Allegri didn’t specify how long he expects Gimenez to be out following his surgery, but Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport report that he’s expected to miss between six to eight weeks.

It’s a brutal blow for Gimenez who had struggled mightily before his injury. The 24-year-old striker failed to find the back of the net despite featuring in all of Milan’s nine Serie A games to start the term, starting eight of them.

Gimenez’s AC Milan future had already been called into question even before his injury. Now, with the striker sidelined until at least late January, the situation becomes even more murky.

Recent reports suggest Milan are interested in German striker Niclas Füllkrug of West Ham United. Allegri spoke about the speculation with a revealing answer.

“As for the transfer market, we haven’t spoken about that,” Allegri said. “Our current objective is to recover our injured players. After the Super Cup, we will assess what opportunities are available in January [transfer market].”

Füllkrug’s potential arrival jeopardizes Gimenez’s already precarious position at Milan. But the repercussions of the striker’s current injury and recent form could extend to the Mexico national team, mere months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

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Santiago Gimenez at Risk of Missing 2026 World Cup

Santiago Gimenez has just two goals for Mexico since 2024. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

There’s no denying that, at this point, Gimenez’s future with El Tri is just as uncertain as it is with AC Milan.

If Gimenez leaves Milan in January, he will first of all have to recover from injury before quickly rounding into form in a brand new environment with presumably just five months to go until Mexico’s World Cup debut.

If he stays at Milan, especially if another striker arrives in January, he could find it hard to get consistent playing time given the club are only competing in Serie A from February until the end of the season.

To make matters worse for “El Bebote,” Liga MX strikers Germán Berterame and Armando González have upped their level in recent months, giving El Tri manager Javier Aguirre even more center forward alternatives that could potentially serve as Raul Jiménez’s backup next summer.

The excitement surrounding Gimenez’s move to Milan in early 2025 was gargantuan and after such a promising start, it appeared he was destined to spearhead Mexico’s attack in the World Cup.

Fast forward less than a year and the Cruz Azul academy graduate is running out of time to return to full fitness and rediscover his form. If he doesn’t, he’s very much at risk of being one of the first few names left off Mexico’s World Cup roster for the second tournament in a row.

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