Johnny Cardoso’s World Cup hopes are over, and the timing could hardly be worse for the United States. Atlético Madrid announced Monday that the 24-year-old midfielder will undergo surgery on his right ankle, ending his club season and, by the club’s account, ruling him out of the tournament less than five weeks before kickoff. For a U.S. team that has come to rely on his dirty-work midfield duties, it is a brutal blow.
Atlético confirmed that Cardoso suffered a high-grade right-ankle sprain in training and “will undergo surgery” to repair the damage, according to The Associated Press. Spanish reports said the club described the problem as a joint injury and that Cardoso sought a second opinion in Barcelona before opting for surgery, per Cadena SER. The Associated Press also notes that Cardoso has made 23 appearances for the U.S. since his debut in 2020.
There had already been warning signs. Cardoso managed only 45 minutes in the United States’ March friendly against Belgium before being substituted. Mauricio Pochettino said that halftime change had been planned after the player reported discomfort, according to The Guardian. That earlier issue limited his involvement in the March camp and raised doubts about whether he would reach the World Cup fully fit. With surgery now on the books, those doubts have turned into a hard selection problem.
Roster ripple effects
Pochettino is scheduled to unveil his 26-player World Cup roster on May 26 at an event in New York City, with a pre-tournament training camp beginning the next day in Fayetteville, Ga., according to CBS Sports. Cardoso’s absence nudges several midfielders closer to the plane. Early chatter has highlighted Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris, and Cristian Roldán and Sebastian Berhalter are also understood to have moved into more serious contention.
The clock is not doing Pochettino any favors. He now has a narrow window to balance match fitness, tactical fit and positional depth before locking in his list. Cardoso had been a relatively straightforward inclusion. Replacing him will not be.
Why this hurts
Cardoso worked his way into Atlético’s regular rotation this season, starting key LaLiga and Champions League matches and giving the U.S. midfield a defensive edge that pairs well with more attack-minded teammates, according to reporting in AS. He has been the guy who screens the back line, snaps into tackles and hoovers up loose balls, a profile Pochettino leaned on in his preferred setups.
Without him, the staff must either trust a like-for-like replacement who already knows the system or tweak the midfield mix on the fly. Neither option is ideal with the tournament looming.
Atlético has not disclosed an exact surgery date or a detailed recovery timeline, beyond confirming that an operation is required and noting joint involvement that needs surgical repair, according to The Associated Press. With friendlies and camp about to begin, the U.S. will move forward without him. Pochettino’s decisions on May 26 will define the group that kicks off the World Cup in June.
For Cardoso, the focus now shifts to surgery and long-term recovery. For the United States, it is about fast adjustments and trying to keep the midfield from tilting off balance just as the stakes spike.
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