Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the Red Devils have confirmed.
Onana sustained the injury in the first half of Belgium’s 4-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday.
Belgium team doctor Brahim Hacene said: “Unfortunately, the medical examinations have confirmed that Amadou has suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. This is devastating news, both for him personally and for the team.
“We immediately consulted with Amadou and with Aston Villa to agree on the best approach to his recovery.
“Over the coming days, we will jointly determine the next steps in his medical treatment and rehabilitation. Throughout this process, we will continue to provide Amadou with our full support.”
Onana has made four appearances for Belgium at the World Cup, and was making his second start of the tournament against U.S.
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Mauricio Pochettino mum on USMNT future, tells fans to keep faith
SEATTLE — Mauricio Pochettino would not offer an indication about whether he wants to remain as coach of the United States men’s national team following the Americans’ exit from the World Cup on Monday.
After being dominated by Belgium 4-1, the U.S. has been eliminated at the round-of-16 stage in four of the past five World Cups. And Pochettino, the Argentine manager who was brought in with great fanfare, said it was not the right time to discuss his future.
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“Now is not a moment to talk about that,” he said at his postgame news conference. “I think now is a moment to see, to assess the tournament. You know, I’m sure in the next weeks we can start to talk if [U.S. Soccer] wants to talk.”
Pochettino’s contract expires after this tournament, and U.S. Soccer had reportedly approached him about a possible contract extension before the World Cup began. But it is unclear whether Pochettino would like to remain in a national team setting or return to top-level club soccer.
On Tuesday, the USSF issued the following statement regarding the direction of the program and its next steps with Pochettino.
“We had positive conversations with Mauricio before the World Cup about the future,” read the USSF statement. “We agreed we would continue those conversations following a chance to rest and reflect post World Cup. We have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Mauricio, his staff and everyone part of the program. We have shared excitement about our potential and also shared clarity about the amount of work at all levels still required to achieve our ambition.”
Pochettino previously had stints at elite clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, so many assumed the U.S. job would be a short stopover for him.
That might turn out to be the case, but it is clear that Pochettino feels proud of what he has accomplished in two years leading the Americans. In particular, he spoke about feeling that there is “the perfect mindset” now within the American player pool.
“I think we set the principles for the future to be very successful,” he said Monday after the loss. “I think we feel proud because … I think we’ll create something that is going to stay now in the federation and in this country.”
Whether or not Pochettino is with the U.S. at the 2030 World Cup, he says he feels confident that the nucleus of the current roster will pair well with the younger players who are rising up. And though this elimination surely stings, Pochettino urged American fans to be optimistic for what might be ahead.
“I think this team showed that we can play football, we can play soccer, we can compete,” he said. “A lot of young players with a lot of potential and future, and I think a generation of young kids that are coming behind. I think only [that you should] keep believing in that process.”
With Egypt leading 2-0 with just over 10 minutes to go, the Albiceleste captain assisted on Argentina’s first goal, scored their second in the 84th minute to tie the game, and then played his part to prompt Enzo Fernández‘s game-winner in the second minute of stoppage time to send his country into the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup with a thrilling 3-2 win.
His equalizer on Tuesday sent the Argentina-heavy crowd into a frenzy inside the pressure cooker of Atlanta Stadium. The bowing began in the stands before transforming into the famous “Messi, Messi” chant we’ve heard so many times already throughout the tournament.
It was almost a different story for Messi and Argentina. After Egypt took the lead when Yasser Ibrahim headed home Marawan Attia‘s cross after 15 minutes, Messi missed a penalty six minutes later that would have tied it, his second miss of the World Cup. From the spot, his left-footed attempt was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir to make Messi’s record four out of eight World Cup penalties missed.
Silence took over before fans broke into Messi’s song: “Vení, vení, cantá conmigo, que un amigo vas a encontrar, que de la mano, de Leo Messi, todos la vuelta vamos a dar.” (“Come, come, sing with me, a friend you’ll find, with Messi’s hand we will do a lap.”)
