Real Madrid star at risk of missing 2026 World Cup as injury relapse revealed amid surgery fears

Real Madrid star at risk of missing 2026 World Cup as injury relapse revealed amid surgery fears

It has been a dismal season for Real Madrid, and in particular, it has been one to forget for star defender Eder Militao. The defender has had another campaign blighted by injuries, and that was hammered home earlier in the week when it was confirmed that a hamstring issue will keep him out until the summer.

Militao will play no further part in Real Madrid’s season, but he has hoped to return in time for the 2026 World Cup, where he would be part of Brazil’s squad. The projection had been for him to recover by early June, but now, there is a strong chance that he is out for months, rather than weeks.

According to COPE (via MD), Militao has relapsed with this latest injury. It’s the same problem he had earlier in the season that saw him miss almost four months of action. There are fears that he will need to undergo surgery, and if that is the case, he will be forced to miss the upcoming World Cup.

The scar from Militao’s previous injury, which was a grade three tear, has re-opened, and the best way to ensure no more futures issues would be surgery. If he chooses against going under the knife, he would be at risk of complications down the line, which could include missing the start of the 2026-27 season with Real Madrid.

Militao’s rotten injury luck continues

The last 2-3 years have been incredibly difficult for Militao. He suffered back-to-back ACL tears in 2023 and 2024 respectively, which saw him miss well over a year of action across the two spells. He’s already missed a significant chunk of this season with the aforementioned hamstring tear, and he is required to undergo surgery, a further extended absence would be on the cards, which would be another big psychological blow for the Real Madrid man.