Tottenham Hotspur announced in an official statement on Monday that their Dutch player, Xavi Simons, has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), ending his season and ruling him out of the 2026 World Cup with his country.
Simons was stretchered off during the second half of Tottenham’s match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday after a serious knee injury following a collision with Hugo Bonillo.
Tottenham confirmed on Monday that the 23-year-old has torn the ACL in his right knee and will undergo surgery in the coming weeks.
Partial or complete ACL tears typically sideline players for six to nine months.
The player commented on the injury, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup, saying, “They say life can be cruel, and today I feel it perfectly.”
He added, “My season has ended abruptly and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken, and none of this makes any sense.”
Simons’ injury comes at a critical time for Tottenham, who are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League. They currently sit in 18th place, two points adrift of safety with only four games remaining.
Simons joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig for £52 million last summer and has made 28 league appearances this season, 19 of them as a starter. He has scored two Premier League goals and provided five assists.
