Porto and Spain forward Samu Aghehowa will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.
The 21-year-old was substituted at half-time of Porto’s Primeira Liga match against Sporting CP on Monday, and tests have confirmed an ACL tear in his right knee.
Recovery from such an injury typically takes between five months and over a year. The striker will miss the rest of the 2025–26 season, with Porto leading the Primeira Liga by four points and having already qualified for the Europa League knockout stages.
He is also expected to miss the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on June 11. Spain have been drawn in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Aghehowa has earned four caps for Spain since making his international debut in November 2024.
Aghehowa has scored 20 goals in 32 appearances for Porto this season. He joined Porto from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2024, after a proposed move to Chelsea collapsed. Newcastle United also considered signing him in the summer of 2025.
Mikel Oyarzabal of Real Sociedad has been Spain’s first-choice striker during the 2025 UEFA Nations League and World Cup qualifiers.
Aghehowa started Spain’s World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria in October.
