Takumi Minamino to miss World Cup 2026 with knee injury

Monaco beat Auxerre 2-1 in the French Cup on Tuesday night, with both goals scored by Mika Biereth to secure qualification for the Round of 32. However, the victory was overshadowed by a major blow as Minamino picked up a serious injury and left the pitch in tears.

In the 35th minute, the Japanese forward injured his left knee while attempting to intercept an Auxerre player. He immediately collapsed on the pitch and was stretchered off before being taken straight to hospital for further checks.

After the match, Monaco head coach Sébastien Pocognoli gave an update on Minamino’s condition: “Taki is in the hospital and I don’t yet know what he has. I don’t know if it might be a torn ACL. We hope it’s not too serious, but the initial tests weren’t very positive.”

According to French media reports, Minamino has suffered an ACL injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least seven months. With the World Cup 2026 starting in under six months, the 30-year-old would need a remarkable recovery to feature at the tournament.

This is a huge loss for both Monaco and the Japan national team, as Minamino is a key player for both. For Monaco, he has made 22 appearances this season, scoring four goals and providing three assists. At international level, he has scored nine goals in 22 matches over the past two years.

Born in 1995, Minamino began his career in Japan before being discovered by Red Bull Salzburg. He joined Liverpool in 2019 and won the Premier League in his first season. After three years at Anfield, he moved to Monaco in 2022, where he quickly became a core player, making 94 appearances and scoring 19 goals, though he has yet to win a trophy with the club.