Mexico has suffered another major injury blow ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with midfielder Marcel Ruiz ruled out of the tournament after his club side Toluca announced Friday that he had suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee.
Ruiz suffered the injury in the first half of Toluca’s Concacaf Champions Cup match against MLS team San Diego FC on Wednesday. Ruiz was substituted in the 40th minute of the match and was seen walking off the field with ice on his right leg following the final whistle.
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“Our player Marcel Ruiz presented a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus tear in his right knee during the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 in San Diego,” Toluca said in a statement Friday.
“Our midfielder will undergo surgery in the upcoming days, and his recovery time will depend on his progress.”
Ruiz, 25, was a World Cup roster lock for Mexico and started in all three matches so far in 2026 under national team coach Javier Aguirre.
The news is a further setback for Aguirre after Club América goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón, another certain selection for Mexico, tore his Achilles earlier this week to also rule him out of the World Cup.
Coupled with key international figures such as Edson Álvarez, Rodrigo Huescas, César Montes, Mateo Chávez, Gilberto Mora, and César Huerta currently recovering from short-term injuries, question marks remain across a number of positions in Mexico’s roster.
While Toluca will continue in Liga MX play on Saturday at home against Toluca, Mexico will prepare for the World Cup without Ruiz in friendlies later this month against Portugal on March 28 and Belgium on March 31.
Mexico is co-hosting this summer’s World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, and plays the tournament’s opening game against South Africa on June 11 at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
