Club América and Mexico national team goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón is expected to miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering a “serious” Achilles tendon injury on Tuesday night.
Malagón was between the sticks for América in their Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 clash against Philadelphia Union when he received the ball, then took a step back to clear the ball before his plant foot gave up on him, resulting in him falling to the ground in clear pain grabbing at his left foot.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper exited the pitch in tears carried out by a stretcher. Following the match, América manager André Jardine issued an update on his injured shot-stopper.
“We think it’s an injury that’s pretty serious,” Jardine said. “Probably an Achilles tendon injury. Hopefully it’s not a complete tear, but probably a partial tear at the very least that will keep him sidelined for a good amount of time.”
No goalkeeper has featured more for Mexico since manager Javier Aguirre took over the team in the summer of 2024. Malagón was the starter when El Tri lifted both the Nations League and Gold Cup in 2025.
Malagón was in a fierce competition with Raúl Rangel to be Mexico’s starter in the 2026 World Cup. Now, it seems any hopes he had of making his tournament debut this summer have disappeared entirely.
Luis Malagón Breaks Silence Following Devastating Injury
Although Club América insists the goalkeeper still must undergo further tests to determine the extent of the injury, initial reports suggest Malagón will require surgery and will be sidelined for between six and nine months.
In the early hours of March 11, Malagón took to social media to deliver an emotional message following the injury.
“There are moments in life that are hard to understand,” Malagón wrote. “Especially when you behave well and act on good faith. Today, with all the pain in my heart, I want to thank everyone, my teammates for their words and prayers and especially my family for never abandoning me.
“Hurt and sad, with my soul shattered into pieces, trying to understand the the situation and asking, why? That dream appears to vanish but I know God will one day give me the answer.
“God bless you all, and especially to every bad person that gets joy from situations like this.”
Historic Player Could Replace Malagon in El Tri’s World Cup Roster
With Malagón out of the picture, Rangel now is the overwhelming favorite to be Mexico’s starting goalkeeper come the World Cup, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Aguirre, who recently mentioned the goalkeeper position was the one he ”felt the most confident on,” must now focus on who could back-up Rangel, and a World Cup cult hero unquestionably enters the conversation.
At 40 years old, Guillermo Ochoa has a very strong chance of representing El Tri in a historic sixth World Cup. The legendary goalkeeper currently plays for AEL Limassol in Cyprus and has made it clear he is eager to be part of Aguirre’s squad this summer.
Santos Laguna’s Carlos Acevedo has been El Tri’s third goalkeeper in recent camps but his form in Liga MX has been far from inspiring, opening the door for others to take his place.
Cruz Azul’s Andrés Gudiño, Pachuca’s Carlos Moreno and Atlético San Luis’ Andrés Sánchez are other potential options for Aguirre to consider in what remains of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 season.
In any case, a better idea of what Aguirre plans to do with the goalkeeper position this summer will emerge when the manager unveils his roster for the March international friendlies against Portugal and Belgium, a camp where Aguirre said he wanted to have at least 85% of the World Cup roster.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mexico National Team Star to Miss 2026 World Cup Following Serious Injury.
