Porto forward Samu Aghehowa has been ruled out of action for several months after suffering a serious knee injury, casting doubt over his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 21-year-old Spain international, who is of Nigerian descent, sustained a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Porto’s Primeira Liga encounter against Sporting CP. He was substituted at half-time, and subsequent medical tests confirmed the severity of the injury.
An ACL rupture is regarded as one of the most serious injuries in football, with recovery periods typically ranging from five months to over a year, depending on the extent of the damage and rehabilitation progress. The setback is expected to sideline Aghehowa for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
The development comes at a time when Porto are enjoying a strong campaign, sitting four points clear at the top of the Portuguese league and having secured qualification for the Europa League knockout rounds.
Before the injury, Aghehowa had been in impressive form, registering 20 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions this season.
The injury also deals a major blow to Spain’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to kick off on June 11. Spain, drawn in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, may now be without one of their emerging attacking options.
Aghehowa has earned four senior caps for Spain since making his debut in November 2024 and featured in a World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria in October. His rise had attracted significant attention following his transfer from Atletico Madrid to Porto in 2024, after a proposed move to Chelsea fell through. Newcastle United were also reportedly monitoring his progress last summer.
With Aghehowa facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente is expected to turn to options including Mikel Oyarzabal, Alvaro Morata, Borja Iglesias and Jorge de Frutos as the team intensifies preparations for the tournament.
