​The 2026 World Cup has reached the quarterfinal stage, with eight teams still in the hunt for global glory, while squads hope to avoid any last-minute injuries that could derail their campaigns. Some prior injury sagas have found happier endings: Lamine Yamal has returned to full fitness and now appears as a regular for Spain, and Neymar managed to log some minutes in what is expected to be his final World Cup before Brazil’s run was halted by Norway.
Nevertheless, several nations remain anxious about key players’ fitness. England have dealt with a defensive injury crisis for much of the tournament, and while Reece James’ return to training offered a glimmer of relief, Thomas Tuchel could face a setback with Marc Guehi possibly unavailable for Saturday’s clash with Norway. Additionally, Declan Rice has been struck by illness.
France are monitoring Kylian Mbappe after he was withdrawn from action following a knock against Morocco. Spain, too, have seen their wing options trimmed since the group stage, with Yeremy Pino, Nico Williams, and Victor Muñoz all sidelined. Below is a full snapshot of the major injuries impacting this year’s World Cup contenders. Mbappe’s substitution against Morocco came as a precaution after he sustained a knock in France’s 2-0 quarterfinal win. Morocco defender Issa Diop had just put his side ahead when Mbappe was hurt, earning a yellow card in the moments that followed.
Didier Deschamps chose a cautious path as France moved two goals ahead, with Ousmane Dembele doubling the lead and Mbappe making way for Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 78th minute. Mbappe wore ice on his ankle while on the bench but did not appear unduly worried, given there were five days until the semi-final against Spain or Belgium. He later downplayed the issue, saying, “I have a minor ankle injury, but I’m completely fine.” Mateta was better positioned to carry on for the remaining minutes and was more fit at that moment, which is why he stayed on.
James has been unavailable for England’s last three World Cup matches, including the dramatic round-of-16 victory over Mexico, as he recovers from a hamstring problem. His absence has been compounded by injuries to other right-back options in the squad, though a return to fitness ahead of the Norway quarter-final remains the hope, especially since he had resumed training as expected.
In the group stages, James featured prominently for England before his latest setback, while Onana from Belgium has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup and will miss much of the upcoming season after suffering a knee injury during Belgium’s last-16 win over the United States. Onana’s knee buckled as he twisted in the first half, with no opponent contact involved. As the tournament progresses, teams will be counting on their medical staff to manage these concerns, aiming to keep their squads intact for the remaining matches and the potential road to the title.