United States midfielder Johnny Cardoso will miss the 2026 World Cup after Atletico Madrid confirmed he requires surgery on an ankle injury.

Cardoso suffered the injury in a training session last Thursday.

In a statement released on Monday, the club announced that Cardoso had suffered a “high-grade sprain with joint involvement”, which will require surgical repair.

Cardoso was likely to be a key figure for the USA in their first home World Cup since 1994.

The 24-year-old has won 23 caps for the USA, who kick off their campaign on June 12 with their opening Group D clash against Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men then face Australia a week later in Seattle before rounding off their group stage fixtures by returning to Southern California for a difficult game against Turkey at SoFi Stadium.