FIFA 2026 | Uruguay's Manuel Ugarte reveals suffering from 'most serious injury a footballer can face'

Uruguay's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end in group-stage when they lost to Spain in their final Group H match. During the game, Manuel Ugarte, who plays for Manchester United in English Premier League, suffered a horrific injury. Ugarte was taken off the field in a stretcher after he twisted his knee, somrthing which he defined as the 'worst injury a footballer can face.'

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What happed to Manuel Ugarte?

In the last group match of both Spain and Uruguay on Friday (Jun 26) in Guadalajara in Mexico, only one goal was scored with Spain winning 1-0. The goal came in 42nd minute with Alex Baena finding the net. During the set up of the goal, Ugarte tried to make a tackle but fell awkwardly and twisted his knee. He was eventually taken off on a stretcher as his team lost the match.

After the injury, he was checked by Uruguay's medical staff on Saturday (Jun 28) and is now expected to travel to Manchester for further assessment. Meanwhile, several media reports from Uruguay are claiming that Ugarte has suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which can make him unavailable for months.

What did Ugarte say about injury?

Talking to Instagram about his injury, Ugarte wrote: "Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country's history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my team-mates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."

"Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that's the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know. It's up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall," he added.