Real Madrid have officially confirmed that Rodrygo has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and a ruptured lateral meniscus in his right knee, ruling him out for the season.
Rodrygo has suffered a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, ruling him out for approximately 7 months. He has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, and will also miss this summer’s World Cup. This marks the first major injury of his professional career.
The injury occurred in the 66th minute of Real Madrid’s La Liga clash against Getafe. After a tussle with Adrián Liso on the left flank, Rodrygo prepared to push off, only for his standing leg to give way; his right leg became trapped, causing immediate significant pain that saw him drop to the turf. He, however, got back to his feet and continued playing. It remains impossible to determine whether the ligament was fully torn at that moment, or if playing through the injury aggravated a less severe initial issue, with the exact sequence of events difficult to verify. Regardless, he played for nearly 30 more minutes, even featuring in a number of dangerous attacking moves during that time. From his symptoms at the time, there was no indication of such a severe injury, yet the situation ultimately resulted in the worst possible outcome.
After returning to the dressing room, Rodrygo reported his discomfort to the club’s medical staff. The medical team examined the injury, and scheduled him for further tests the following morning. Initially, the concern was only at a "yellow alert" level, but by the morning, as the pain intensified dramatically, the situation was upgraded to an "orange alert". He was subsequently sent to a clinic for an MRI scan and a series of other examinations. After hours of tension and waiting, the devastating diagnosis was confirmed: a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
This is the first major injury of Rodrygo’s career. Prior to this, he had only one spell on the sidelines lasting longer than a month. This is his second injury of the season: on 6 February, he was diagnosed with tendinopathy of the hamstring tendon in his right leg, ruling him out for 3 matches, and 5 in total including a Champions League suspension. That injury stemmed from an excessive workload during the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where he had reported significant discomfort after the semi-final, but still played through the pain in the final. He subsequently missed 4 matches against Albacete, Monaco, Levante and Villarreal, and was not fully fit for the games against Benfica and Rayo Vallecano, before opting for a full period of rest. He made his return as a substitute against Getafe on Monday, playing 36 minutes and appearing to be regaining his form, only to suffer this career-altering blow.
Rodrygo’s game time has been inconsistent this season. He has featured for a total of 1106 minutes, accounting for 31% of the team’s total 3600 minutes of game time, with just 10 starts. He ranks 15th in the squad for total minutes played, behind Gonzalo (1139 minutes) and Mastantuono (1204 minutes), and marginally ahead of Antonio Rüdiger (1094 minutes). During Xabi Alonso’s tenure, he found himself at a disadvantage in the competition for a starting spot on the right flank, before being further hampered by injuries and suspensions. So far this season, he has contributed 3 goals and 6 assists, averaging a goal every 368 minutes and an assist every 184 minutes.
Real Madrid now face a severe shortage of options in the forward line. For Friday’s fixture against Celta Vigo, Álvaro Arbeloa will only have Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo and Brahim Díaz available as recognised senior forwards. Mastantuono is suspended for inappropriate comments, Kylian Mbappé is in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming Manchester City clash, and Rodrygo has now been ruled out long-term.
With just 100 days to go until the World Cup, Rodrygo has suffered the worst injury of his career, bringing his season to a premature end and ruling him out of the upcoming international tournament.
