Éder Militão published a thank you on social media this Tuesday (28) after undergoing a surgical operation. The Real Madrid defender was cut from Copa from the 2026 Mundo due to a torn Aquiles hamstring and reaffirmed his determination to return to the field soon.
In the post, the defender acknowledged that he invested as much as possible to maintain his physical shape and compete in the tournament. “There was no lack of effort on my part to be well,” he wrote. Apesar care, the injury worsened and forced him to undergo surgery. Militão ended the message with hope: “The best is yet to come.”
Terceira muscle injury in a season marked by physical problems
The current injury represents a relapse of a problem that Militão suffered in December 2025, when he ruptured the same tendon as Aquiles in a match against Celta’s Vigo. Naquela opportunity, the treatment was conservative, without the need for surgical intervention, and the absence lasted approximately four months.
Após returned to the competition, Militão played just five matches before suffering another rupture on April 21, against Alavés. Later Exames revealed that the injury was more severe than initially imagined. The severity led Real Madrid’s medical team to opt for surgery, a decision that also resulted in his being cut from the Brazilian team.
Esta is the third muscle injury Militão has faced this season. The defender participated in approximately 20 games during the period. Antes of this recent streak, he had already been away for four consecutive months, missing 24 of the team’s matches.
Histórico worrying since Catar
Militão’s injury situation has worsened significantly since Copa’s Mundo’s Catar in 2022. Desde then, the defender accumulated seven serious injuries and remained sidelined for around 700 days — the equivalent of almost two full seasons.
In August 2023, Militão suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The recovery lasted until March 2024. Alguns months later, in November of the same year, a new tragedy: rupture in the right knee with associated injury to the menisci. The return to the fields only occurred in July 2025.
The sequence of serious injuries calls into question the athlete’s physical fragility and worries both Real Madrid and Confederação Brasileira of Futebol.
Impacto on Seleção and Copa on Mundo
The absence of Militão directly affects coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for Seleção Brasileira in Copa of Mundo in 2026. Ancelotti knows the defender well from the time he worked at Real Madrid and counted on him to form the defense in the tournament.
Além from the defense, the coach had considered using Militão as a right-back, a position that does not yet have a defined owner in the national team. With his departure, Ancelotti will need to review its defensive strategy towards Mundial.
A replacement has already been defined to fill the vacancy left by Militão in the squad called up for the 2026 Copa.
Tempo recovery and next steps
The estimated recovery period for Militão after surgery is five months. Esse schedule puts it out of action until approximately September 2026, about three months after Copa shuts down Mundo.
The defender has played just 21 games this season for Real Madrid, a number that clearly reflects the impact of his recurring injuries. The hope now is that, once recovered, Militão will be able to maintain the physical consistency that is missing from his recent track record.
- Current Lesão: Aquiles tendon tear (repeat from December 2025)
- Lesões in the season: three muscle injuries
- Tempo expected leave of absence: five months
- Histórico since Catar: seven serious injuries and 700 days out
- Jogos played this season: approximately 21 matches