USMNT suffer another major injury blow just over a month away from FIFA World Cup

Atletico Madrid's Cardoso has suffered an ankle injury -Credit:Marc Atkins/Getty Images

“Johnny Cardoso suffers a high-grade sprain in his right ankle,” Atletico said in a statement just two days after he played 33 minutes in their 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

“He will undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions in the gym, and the progress of his recovery will determine his return to competition. We wish you a speedy recovery, Johnny. You'll come back stronger.”

Cardoso has been far from a regular for either club or country this season, with injuries largely holding him back in what was his first season with Atletico following his roughly $35 million move from Real Betis last summer.

With 30 appearances in all competitions for Diego Simeone’s side this season, of which he started 20, Cardoso found the back of the net just once. Meanwhile, he has played just five times between 2025 and 2026 for the USMNT, playing a full game just once.

This latest injury setback may well help Pochettino make his final decision at the position, with the likes of Tanner Tessman of Lyon, Sebastian Berhalter of the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Cristian Roldan of the Seattle Sounders all options in defensive midfield.

Exactly how long Cardoso will be sidelined is unclear, with Pochettino needing to submit his 26-player roster by May 30. The following day, Pochettino’s side is set to host Senegal at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, before taking on Germany in their final warm-up game on June 6 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Mexico will kick off the World Cup on June 11 in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca against South Africa, while the USMNT will take on Paraguay the next day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

A week later, the USMNT will travel to Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, to take on Australia, before they close out their group stage against Türkiye back at SoFi on June 25.

Recently, Cardoso was asked by ESPN about his thoughts on potentially participating in the World Cup opener in Los Angeles, admitting that he felt “a mix of emotions. A little bit nervous. Could be my first World Cup, so I’ve dreamed about it, and now I’m here living it.

“So, it’s a big step for me. But I approach this like an opportunity to show everybody, not just for me, but my teammates as well, what we can do, what we can show to the world, that we have a great team to achieve great goals.”