Argentina's national football team doctor, Oscar Celada, said that severe muscle ruptures are increasing among players despite a decrease in minor hamstring strains.
This shift in injury patterns arrives at a critical juncture for the squad. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup starting in slightly more than one month [1], the medical team must determine the physical readiness of the roster to finalize the official call-up list.
Celada said there is a change in how injuries manifest on the pitch. He said that players are less likely to experience the typical minor pulls that lead them to clutch their hamstrings during a match, but the severity of the injuries that do occur has intensified.
"Now we see less of them putting their hand to the hamstring, but they are breaking more," Celada said [1].
The medical staff, which includes coach Luis de la Fuente, is currently evaluating the condition of the athletes to mitigate risks before the tournament begins. The trend suggests that while preventative measures may be reducing minor strains, the intensity of modern play may be leading to more complete muscle failures.
Because the tournament is only a few weeks away [1], the timing of these severe ruptures poses a significant challenge to the team's depth. A severe tear typically requires a longer recovery period than a simple strain, potentially sidelining key players for the duration of the group stage.
“"Now we see less of them putting their hand to the hamstring, but they are breaking more,"”
The transition from frequent minor strains to rarer but more severe ruptures indicates a precarious balance in athlete conditioning. For the Argentine national team, this means that while players may appear healthier on the surface, the risk of catastrophic, tournament-ending injuries has risen, complicating the final selection process for the 2026 World Cup.
