Minamino Out for Japan at 2026 World Cup With Left ACL Tear

Takumi Minamino is out for Japan at the 2026 World Cup after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in December. The 31-year-old arrived at the tournament unavailable, removing a player expected to play a key role for the national team.

Minamino’s December injury

Minamino sustained the injury during a French Cup match between AS Monaco and Auxerre. ACL injuries typically require several months of recovery, and that timeline ruled him out before Japan reached the tournament.

He had been one of Japan’s regulars for more than a decade and appeared in multiple major tournaments. His absence leaves Japan without a veteran attacker who had been part of the team’s core for years.

Japan’s attack loses a veteran

At 31 years old, he was still a central figure in Japan’s plans. Minamino’s career path ran from Cerezo Osaka to Red Bull Salzburg, then to Liverpool, where he won the Premier League and domestic cups under Jürgen Klopp.

He also spent time on loan at Southampton before joining AS Monaco. That club path helped shape the player Japan was relying on at the 2026 World Cup: a forward with top-level European experience and a long international record.

Japan now has to move ahead without one of its most recognizable players of the past decade. For a team heading into a major tournament, the loss is not only about one absence on the lineup card; it is also about replacing a long-running source of creativity and leadership.

AS Monaco to Japan

The injury in December created the clear break. Before that, Minamino had been expected to anchor part of Japan’s attacking plan, and after it, the tournament came without him.

For Japan, the practical reality is simple: the squad has reached the 2026 World Cup without a veteran attacker who had been a regular for more than a decade. The only next step left in this story is how the team fills that gap on the field.