With just 65 days to go before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT has suffered a major setback: Patrick Agyemang.
The Derby County forward, whose club plays in the Football League Championship (the second tier of English soccer), suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury during the first half of the Sky Bet Championship match against Stoke City, which will prevent him from participating in the tournament.
Agyemang is out of the World Cup
The 25-year-old was injured during the first half of the match against Stoke City, and after initial medical examinations, the club itself confirmed the sad news and his absence from soccer’s biggest tournament:
“Patrick will be undergoing a further assessment of the injury later today. The club will provide Patrick with the highest level of medical care and rehabilitation throughout his recovery. Everyone at Derby County is fully behind Patrick at this difficult time and will continue to support him every step of the way,” they began in an official statement.
“As a result of this injury, Patrick will unfortunately miss this summer’s FIFA World Cup,” Derby County stated. “At this stage it would be wrong to put a timeline on his recovery,” they continued, assuring that they will provide further details and updates in due course.
“We’re all with you, Pat,” the club posted on X.
Although the length of his absence was not specified, it is estimated that an Achilles tendon injury could keep him off the field for 6-12 months.
The 25-year-old forward had made a big impact this season with 10 goals and four assists in 38 matches for Derby County and six goals in 14 appearances for the USMNT. However, he had also been an offensive option for Pochettino, scoring a goal for the national team in the recent friendly against Belgium.
His absence is a major blow to the U.S. attack and forces the Argentine coach to rethink his roster ahead of the World Cup.
Damion Downs, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright are emerging as stronger candidates to round out the USMNT’s attacking options and join Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, and Folarin Balogun. Meanwhile, Pochettino is fine-tuning his roster before the deadline to announce the final squad in May.
The World Cup will begin on June 11, 2026, and conclude on July 19, 2026.
