7M - France's Ekitike Ruled Out Of 2026 World Cup After Achilles Injury

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after rupturing his right Achilles tendon during the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. The injury occurred in the 27th minute of Tuesday's second-leg match, with the 23-year-old carried off on a stretcher as Liverpool exited the competition with a 4-0 aggregate defeat.

France head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed the news on Wednesday, ending Ekitike's hopes of featuring in the tournament hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. The forward joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million last July and has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season.

Ekitike earned eight caps for France, netting twice against Ukraine and Brazil, and had been viewed as the primary backup to Kylian Mbappe in attack. Liverpool manager Arne Slot described the injury as looking "really bad" immediately after the match.

The setback adds to France's pre-tournament concerns, though Deschamps retains a strong pool of attacking options. Ekitike is expected to be sidelined for approximately nine months, ruling him out of the start of the 2026-27 club season as well.