A little less than a month and a half before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian national team suffered another loss: Éder Militão. The Real Madrid central defender will undergo surgery this week in Finland for an injury to the biceps femoris of his left leg, which will require around five months of recovery
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The condition worsened during the match against Deportivo Alavés for La Liga, when the defender felt discomfort after a demanding action.
Subsequent studies confirmed that the injury affected a scar from a previous problem, which led to the ruling out of conservative treatment, since, although this alternative would have allowed him to return in about five weeks and reach the World Cup, it entailed a high risk of relapse.
For that reason, Militão decided to undergo surgery, seeking a safer long-term recovery. The person in charge of the operation will be the specialist Lasse Lempainen, renowned for treating complex muscle injuries in elite soccer players. His case represents a new blow in the defender's career, who has been suffering a series of physical problems in
recent seasons. Militao resented a previous injury
In this context, continuity was one of his main difficulties, since he barely managed to play 13 games in the 2023/24 season, 18 in the 2024/25and 21 in thecurrent season, figures that reflect his physical fragility. In addition, in recent years, he suffered two serious cruciate ligament injuries that kept him off the courts for long periods
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The loss of Militão adds to other concerns for Brazil. The young Estêvão Willian is also suffering from a serious injury, while Rodrygowas left out after breaking his cruciate ligament and meniscus. A scenario that complicates the assembly of the team in the face of the World Cup event
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The other weight loss for the World Cup
In parallel with the confirmation of the Brazilian's operation, another team that will lose a key player will be the Netherlands with the injury of Xavi Simons. The Tottenham midfielder suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the last London club game against Wolverhampton in the Premier League and will be out for at least 8 months, so he would only return to
the courts in December of this year or early 2027.
