WORLD CUP
2026

Football is beautiful until a muscle tears. Hamstring strains are the most common injury in the sport. They happen when a player sprints, stops suddenly, or stretches for a ball. The hamstring is a group of three muscles behind the thigh. A grade one strain means tiny fibre tears and a few days off. Grade two can sideline a star for weeks. Grade three is a full rupture that may need surgery. ACL tears are worse. The anterior cruciate ligament inside the knee snaps during sharp turns or awkward landings. Recovery takes nine to twelve months. Ankle sprains strike when studs catch in turf or a tackle twists the joint. At a World Cup, one injury can end a dream. Every squad carries physios who read the pitch like doctors read X-rays. They know which players are one sprint away from disaster.