After suffering an injury Tuesday night at Anfield, the French international from Liverpool will not be playing in the 2026 World Cup. His absence reshuffles the attacking lineup for Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus.

The worst-case scenario has been confirmed for Hugo Ekitike. After leaving the field in tears Tuesday night during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Paris Saint-Germain (0-2), the French Liverpool forward is, according to our sources, suffering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. It is a serious injury, meaning an immediate end to his season… and, above all, a missed opportunity for the 2026 World Cup.

The scene, which unfolded at Anfield, left everyone speechless. During a routine run, Ekitike collapsed on his own before clutching the back of his ankle. Quickly carried off on a stretcher, the French international left the field in tears. His Liverpool FC coach, Arne Slot, left little room for doubt after the match: the injury looked serious.

Further tests scheduled for Wednesday will determine whether he has suffered a partial or complete tear of his right Achilles tendon. In any case, this type of injury requires surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process. He will then need to play a series of matches before regaining his top form. As a result, he cannot be absolutely certain at this time that he will play again before the end of 2026.

This is a huge disappointment for a player on the rise (17 goals in 45 matches across all competitions with the Reds), who has also delivered strong performances with Les Bleus in recent weeks.

With eight caps to his name, he had most recently scored against Brazil (2-1) and appeared in the match against Colombia (3-1) during the last camp. With just a few weeks to go before Didier Deschamps announces the roster (on May 14), his spot on the team seemed assured.