The Spanish national team and FC Porto have suffered a significant blow as striker Samu Aghehowa has been ruled out of the 2026 World Cup due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The 21-year-old sustained the injury during Porto's 1-1 draw against Sporting CP in the Primeira Liga on Monday, forcing him to be substituted at halftime.
Medical examinations confirmed the sprained right knee with ACL damage, which will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. ACL injuries typically require a recovery period of anywhere from five months to over a year. This timeline effectively ends Aghehowa's chances of participating in the World Cup, which begins on June 11.
"Samu, who was substituted at half-time in the match against Sporting (1-1), suffered a sprained right knee with an anterior cruciate ligament injury," FC Porto confirmed in a statement. "The Spanish international will be re-evaluated by FC Porto's Medical Department in the coming days".
Aghehowa's absence is a setback for both Porto and Spain. Since joining Porto from Atletico Madrid in 2024, he has been a key player, scoring 32 goals in 50 league matches. Only Viktor Gyokeres (39 goals) and Vangelis Pavledis (38 goals) have outscored him in the Portuguese top flight during that time. His minutes-per-goal ratio of 114.9 is the fourth-best in the league among players with at least 10 goals. His contributions have helped Porto sit atop the Primeira Liga standings and advance to the Europa League knockout stages. In all competitions this season, he has scored 20 goals in 32 appearances.
For Spain, Aghehowa's injury disrupts their attacking plans for the World Cup. He earned four senior caps since his debut in November 2024, including a start in a World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria in October. He also made a substitute appearance in their final match against Turkey. Spain is in Group H along with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
With Aghehowa unavailable, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will likely rely on other attacking options such as Mikel Oyarzabal, Alvaro Morata, Borja Iglesias, and Jorge de Frutos.