Netherlands playmaker Xavi Simons has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ after suffering an ACL injury. The 23-year-old sustained it during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 reverse of Wolves on Saturday, which gave them a first Premier League win since December in their fight against relegation.
“They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way,” Simons wrote on social media. “My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.
“All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer… just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best team-mate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.
“I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there.”
Simons, who came through the ranks in Barcelona’s La Masia and went on to play for Paris Saint-Germain, made his Netherlands debut against USA in the last 16 of Qatar 2022. He duly became, at 19, the youngest Dutchman to appear in the knockout phase of the World Cup, and marked the occasion with a goal in a 3-1 win. Louis van Gaal overlooked him for the penalty-shootout defeat to Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Simons has become a regular under Ronald Koeman and started the 1-1 draw with Ecuador last time out. He has scored six times in 34 caps overall.
The Netherlands will face Japan in Dallas, Sweden in Houston and Tunisia in Kansas City in Group F of the forthcoming World Cup.
The Netherlands participated in 11 of the previous 22 World Cups. They reached the final in 1974, 1978 and 2010, but lost on all three occasions.
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