Uruguay's Manuel Ugarte suffers serious knee injury at World Cup

Uruguay's World Cup campaign has been dealt a significant blow with midfielder Manuel Ugarte suffering a serious knee ligament injury during their 1-0 defeat to Spain. The 25-year-old Manchester United player was forced off the pitch on a stretcher shortly before halftime in Friday's match at Guadalajara's Estadio Akron.

Ugarte appeared to twist his knee awkwardly while attempting to close down Spain's Pedri. Manchester United has not yet specified whether the injury involves the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial collateral ligament (MCL). An ACL tear typically requires surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period of many months, while an MCL tear is generally considered less severe.

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Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the best course of treatment and the rehabilitation timescale.

"Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the best course of treatment and the rehabilitation timescale," Manchester United stated. Ugarte, who had started in all three of Uruguay's group stage matches, was visibly distressed as he was carried off. The Uruguayan soccer federation confirmed that evaluations are continuing to ascertain the full extent of the injury.

This injury adds to Ugarte's challenging start at Old Trafford since his 50 million euro ($55 million) transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The midfielder has struggled to establish himself, starting only eight Premier League matches in the 2025-26 season and making just one start in the team's final 16 league games. The loss to Spain also resulted in Uruguay's elimination from the World Cup, as they finished third in Group H with two points.

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We will continue working together through the evaluation process to later confirm the full extent and severity of the injury.