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Argentina Confirm Joaquín Panichelli ACL Tear, Ruling Him Out of 2026 World Cup

The loss forces Lionel Scaloni to rethink his depth chart at center forward for Argentina's title defense.

Overview

  • Argentina said tests confirmed a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in Panichelli's right knee, ending his season and World Cup hopes.
  • He was hurt during a national-team training session, in a recurrence of the same knee injury he suffered two years ago.
  • Doctors plan surgery and a recovery of at least six months, which also sidelines him for RC Strasbourg now and the start of next season.
  • His absence removes a late contender for the 26-man squad, with Palmeiras forward José López reported as a leading option for the third striker role.
  • Teammates dedicated their friendly win to him after earlier losses of Juan Foyth and Valentín Carboni left Argentina thinner across the roster.