Real Madrid reveals Rodrygo played with ACL for a long time

Rodrygo had been playing through a partial anterior cruciate ligament tear for nearly three years before suffering a devastating season-ending knee injury in Real Madrid CF’s latest La Liga outing against Getafe CF. 

The Brazilian winger ruptured the ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee during Monday’s 1-0 defeat, with subsequent reports revealing the joint had already been compromised since 2023.

Medical examinations confirmed the 25-year-old collapsed after the ligament finally gave way in his first appearance since early February, having just returned from right hamstring tendinosis. 

According to reports, Rodrygo initially sustained a partial ACL tear while on international duty with the Brazil national football team in 2023. 

At the time, doctors opted against surgery, instead prescribing intensive physiotherapy and preventative strength work to stabilize the knee and allow him to continue competing for club and country.

The decision to avoid surgical intervention has been described by sources as a calculated and medically standard approach for partial ACL tears. 

Representatives for the player insisted he received appropriate care for every physical complaint, rejecting any suggestion of negligence. 

Avoiding immediate surgery is often considered viable when the ligament remains partially intact, and the athlete can function without instability.

Rodrygo expressed his anguish on social media following confirmation of the injury, calling it “one of the worst days” of his life and admitting he had long feared such a setback. 

Despite the heartbreak, he reflected on the highs of his career and vowed to confront the lengthy rehabilitation ahead, even as the timing threatens to derail some of his biggest ambitions.

His absence compounds a growing injury crisis at the Santiago Bernabéu. Rodrygo becomes the fifth Madrid player to suffer a serious ACL injury since the summer of 2023, joining teammates such as Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, and Dani Carvajal. 

Fellow Brazilian Éder Militão has endured the same injury twice in recent seasons, underscoring a troubling pattern for the Spanish giants.

The immediate focus will be on successful surgery and rehabilitation, but the recovery timeline is expected to stretch up to 12 months. 

That prognosis not only rules Rodrygo out for the remainder of the domestic and European campaigns, but also places his participation in the 2026 World Cup in serious doubt, leaving both Madrid and Brazil facing a prolonged period without one of their most dynamic attacking threats.