Barcelona midfield mainstay finished the World Cup with a knee injury – report

Barcelona midfield mainstay finished the World Cup with a knee injury – report As per Ferran Correas of SPORT , Frenkie de Jong finished the 2026 World Cup carrying a knee problem, with the Barcelona midfielder playing the closing stages of the tournament despite persistent pain in his right knee. The Netherlands were eliminated in the Round of 32 after losing to Morocco on penalties , bringing an end to Ronald Koeman’s tenure as head coach. De Jong played 110 minutes in that match and is understood to have been dealing with discomfort throughout the game. Pain throughout the final games Sources from the Netherlands suggest De Jong also played through pain during the final two group-stage matches against Sweden and Tunisia. De Jong ended the World Cup with an injury. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Some have even claimed the midfielder received pain-relieving injections before those fixtures, with both games proving crucial to the Dutch campaign. Victory over Tunisia secured qualification for the knockout rounds before the decisive encounter with Morocco, who had reached the semi-finals of the previous World Cup. Despite the discomfort, Barcelona are not believed to be concerned about De Jong’s condition. The issue is not considered a serious injury, and the expectation is that a period of rest will allow the midfielder to recover fully before the start of pre-season. Expected back for pre-Season Barcelona’s World Cup participants are entitled to three weeks of holiday after their international campaigns conclude. As a result, De Jong is expected to report back to Hansi Flick shortly before the squad departs for its pre-season training camp in England at the Football Association’s training centre. Barcelona not worried as the injury is not serious. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) At this stage, there are no indications that his knee issue will delay his preparations for the new season. Other Barcelona players also managing injuries De Jong is not the only Barcelona player to have experienced fitness problems during the World Cup in North America. Ronald Araújo suffered a calf injury before the World Cup began and even made a brief trip back to Spain to receive treatment from a trusted physiotherapist while also being assessed by Barcelona’s medical staff. Although he later rejoined Uruguay, he did not feature during the tournament, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side failing to progress beyond the group stage. Raphinha has also been sidelined after suffering a muscle injury during Brazil’s second group match against Haiti. The winger missed Brazil’s following two games and is also expected to sit out the Round-of-16 clash with Norway. Brazil remain optimistic, however, that the Barcelona forward could return in the quarter-finals should Carlo Ancelotti’s side advance.