Brazil and Real Madrid forward Rodrygo is set to miss extended time and the upcoming World Cup after rupturing his ACL.
It’s a huge blow for player, club and country. The 25-year-old has dealt with constant injuries for a few years now and has struggled to stay fit consistently.
Things took a turn for the worse following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure from Los Blancos. Xabi Alonso came in and the Brazilian immediately went to the bench, with rumours of him being unhappy with his limited role. Not just in terms of minutes played, but also spending most of his time on the right wing.
Now, he has officially hit rock bottom after tearing his ACL. The injury will sideline him for at least six months and he is set to miss the 2026 World Cup. It would be his second, but possibly the first as a starter.
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Rodrygo featured in 12 of Brazil’s 18 qualifying games, starting every single one of them. A few knocks kept him out of an international break or two. But especially with Ancelotti at the helm, chances were he was going to start.
The Selecao have lacked top-end quality in recent years, but depth has never been a problem. Especially going forward. So here are a few possible replacements that the Italian manager could choose from in three months time.
Gabriel Martinelli
A more like-for-like replacement, considering Rodrygo had been playing more on the left for Brazil. It’s a natural fit with Raphinha coming from the right in the ideal starting XI.
Gabriel Martinelli has established himself at Arsenal since arriving in 2019, boasting nearly seven years of Premier League and European football.
He is rather seasoned for a 24-year-old and experience at the top level definitely comes in handy. The Gunners No.11 is far ahead of the others in this regard.
Martinelli has never replicated his best club form at international level. But that has been the case for nearly every Brazilian forward in the last 15 years except for Neymar. Even Vinicius Junior has struggled with the green-and-yellow shirt.
What does play against him is that Mikel Arteta has identified him as better suited for second halves. Leandro Trossard took the starting spot from him this season.
Rodrygo drifts inside more often and is more participative, rather than hugging the touchline. But Arsenal fans would be the first to tell you that Martinelli should have more freedom. Arteta’s system, however, requires more of his work out wide.
Antony
Antony joined Europe a year after Martinelli and only got his first big move in 2022. He had a decent start to life at Manchester United under Erik Ten Hag, but it soon turned into a nightmare as poor form and Ruben Amorim’s preferences played a part.
He has since found joy in football again, though. An incredible loan spell at Real Betis became permanent last summer and Antony has been one of the best players in La Liga since arriving in January 2025.
The 26-year-old is, however, almost exclusively a right-winger. If Ancelotti gives him a chance in the starting XI, it would require Raphinha to move to the left. Not that it would be an issue, since it’s his most common position at Barcelona, but it hasn’t been the case for Brazil.
Antony is nearing a ‘double-double’ for Betis this season, with 11 goals and nine assists in 31 games across all competitions. Rodrygo’s injury could be the opportunity for him to represent the Selecao for the first time in three years.
He played just one game for his country since the end of the 2022 World Cup, in which he featured in four of Brazil’s five games (three of them off the bench).
But it might be his best shot so far, considering he is the most in-form player of all in this list.
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Estevao
It didn’t take long for Chelsea fans to fall in love with Estevao. He joined them from Palmeiras right after the Club World Cup and has already made the case that he should start more often.
Liam Rosenior has given him more chances than Enzo Maresca had before leaving and the 18-year-old shows maturity beyond his actual age.
Estevao has spent some time on the left, despite predominantly playing on the right. But with the constant movements and interchanges that are common in Ancelotti’s system, he could fit right in.
It has already happened as well, seeing as he scored in each of Brazil’s two games last international break. The youngster opened the scoring against Senegal and took the penalty to get them level against Tunisia, showing a lot of personality.
Still, he has a ways to go in terms of properly adapting to a more physical game. Although he has started to brush off his previous reputation of not showing up in big games, it might be too soon for him to be a full-time Brazilian national team starter.
Matheus Cunha
Matheus Cunha would provide Ancelotti a different tactical look. He started in a two-striker set alongside Vini Jr. in Brazil’s last two games, but has gone from a second striker to left-attacking-midfielder recently under Michael Carrick at Man Utd.
He can certainly play this role and has good involvements in build-up, helping take the team forward through passes, take-ons or carries.
But it would vacate a spot next to Vinicius up front – and there the options aren’t as good as on the wings. Considering Ancelotti’s preferences, Joao Pedro and Endrick would be the main ones. True number nines like Igor Jesus, Igor Thiago and Kaio Jorge all have slim chances.
It’s unlikely due to what the Italian usually demands from his forwards. He would probably prefer to have Cunha next to Vinicius Junior and a proper winger filling in for Rodrygo.
Rodrygo’s injury is bad news for Brazil fans. He was one of their steadiest, most consistent and proven forwards, alongside Raphinha. His absence from the World Cup will put even more weight on Vini’s shoulders. And also require someone else to step up in a way nobody has since Neymar 10-15 years ago.