CHICAGO, United States (EFE).– Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig, former FC Barcelona player and one of the main figures of Los Ángeles Galaxy, underwent surgery again on his left knee for the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) suffered in December 2024, the Los Angeles franchise reported this Saturday.
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Puig successfully underwent surgery for ligament reconstruction, just over a year after undergoing the same surgery, and will remain out of the courts for the entire 2026 MLS season, with a projected return for the start of the 2027 campaign.
Through a statement, the Galaxy indicated that the player “is in the process of recovery and is expected to be able to fully rejoin the squad for the start of the 2027 season.”
An injury that marked his recent career
The serious injury occurred in a non-contact play during the match against
Seattle Sounders in December 2024. Despite the ligament rupture, Puig remained on the field for nearly
30 minutes, a period in which he even
provided the decisive assist that allowed the Galaxy to advance to the MLS final, later won against the
New York Red Bulls.
As a result of that injury, the midfielder completely missed the
2025 season, and will now also be out of the
2026 championship, prolonging his competitive absence for more than two years.
Sports Impact
With
26 years, Riqui Puig is considered one of the most talented footballers in American soccer for his creativity, vision of the game and leadership in midfield. His prolonged absence represents a hard blow for the Galaxy’s sporting plans, which will have to restructure their project without their main offensive generator.
The club trusts that the rehabilitation process will allow the player to return in full physical condition in 2027, the year in which his current contract with the Californian institution ends.
