The 2026 World Cup is down to its last eight, meaning teams will be praying not to suffer any untimely injury setbacks in their quest for global glory.

Some of the big injury sagas heading into the tournament have come to happy endings, with Lamine Yamal now a regular fixture for Spain after returning to full fitness, while injury-ridden Neymar was able to get some minutes in what will be his final World Cup, before Brazil’s elimination at the hands of Norway.

However, many nations are still sweating over major concerns to top players. England have been dealing with a defensive injury crisis for much of the tournament and while that appeared to easing with Reece James closing in on a return, Thomas Tuchel may now be without Marc Guehi for their clash with Norway on Saturday, while Declan Rice has been struck down with illness.

France will be sweating over the fitness of Kylian Mbappe after he was brought off with a knock against Morocco. Spain, meanwhile, have seen their winger options limited since the end of the group stage, with Yeremy Pino, Nico Williams and Victor Munoz all out.

See below for a full list of key injuries at this year’s World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe (France)

Mbappe came off as a precaution after sustaining a knock in France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory against Morocco on Thursday.

Morocco defender Issa Diop tackled the France forward shortly after scoring the opening goal, which earned him a yellow card as Mbappe showed signs of pain.

Manager Didier Deschamps avoided unnecessary risks after Les Bleus extended their lead to 2-0 through Ousmane Dembele, replacing Mbappe with Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 78th minute.

Mbappe applied ice to his ankle on the bench but appeared calm, with five days remaining before France’s semi-final match against either Spain or Belgium.

Mbappe downplayed the issue afterwards, stating: “I have a minor ankle injury, but I’m completely fine.

“Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That’s all that happened.”

Reece James (England)

James has missed England’s last three World Cup matches, including their stunning round of 16 win over Mexico while he recovers from a hamstring injury.

His absence, alongside injuries to other right-back options, has challenged the squad depth. He hopes to return against Norway in the quarter-finals after resuming training.

Amadou Onana (Belgium)

Onana will miss the remainder of the World Cup and a significant portion of the upcoming club season after the Belgium and Aston Villa midfielder sustained a knee injury during his country’s last-16 win over USA.

The 24-year-old’s knee gave way as he turned in the first half without any opponent contact. Staff later observed him on the bench using crutches and wearing a brace as his teammates secured a 4-1 victory in Seattle.

Scans confirmed a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, an injury requiring at least six months of recovery.

Marc Guehi (England)

England defender Guehi faces an assessment ahead of the quarter-final against Norway after straining his hamstring against Mexico.

Team officials initially hoped he was experiencing simple muscle fatigue, but medical checks revealed a minor injury sustained at the Azteca.

Guehi remains hopeful of proving his fitness to play, but his status remains uncertain.

Declan Rice (England)

Neural back pain has forced England to manage Rice’s workload throughout the tournament. He missed the group finale against Panama but played in both knockout matches since.

He has now contracted an illness that threatens his participation in the quarter-final against Norway. After missing two training sessions, his involvement remains a significant doubt.

England management have taken precautions to prevent the illness from spreading. Norway also managed an illness within their ranks, but their team doctor has confirmed all their players are now fully recovered.

Yeremy Pino (Spain)

The Crystal Palace winger sustained a collarbone injury against Uruguay, sparking fears he might miss the remainder of the competition.

Spain confirmed that X-rays showed an acromioclavicular sprain rather than a fracture.

However, he has not featured for Spain since picking up the injury during the group stage.

Nico Williams (Spain)

Injury issues continue for La Roja after Williams sustained a groin problem in the victory over Uruguay.

“Today is one of the worst days of my life,” Williams posted on social media. “I am injured again after a very difficult year. Yesterday, I suffered a new injury following an incident where a fellow professional acted out of frustration, unhappiness, and sadness over the situation he was going through. In my opinion, it was a play that could have been avoided, as it was completely unnecessary. But this won’t stop me.”

Like Pino, he has not played since the injury ahead of the quarter-finals.

Brentford midfielder Henderson has been ruled out of the World Cup after sustaining a freak injury after England’s win over Mexico.

Henderson jumped over the advertising boards and fell awkwardly, breaking his arm. He has undergone surgery and will miss the remainder of the tournament, although he plans to stay with the squad until the end of the campaign at their Kansas City training base.

Belgium defender Debast has dealt with a leg injury since before the tournament, missing all of his side’s matches under Rudi Garcia.

This situation will not change for the quarter-final against Spain after Belgium revealed that his club, Sporting CP, prohibited him from playing.

A Royal Belgian Football Association spokesperson stated: “Zeno Debast will not be available for the quarter final. His club, Sporting CP, have informed the player that they did not consider him to be medically fit to play matches.

“This assessment differs from that of the Red Devils’ medical staff, as well as Fifa’s medical and insurance authorities. Zeno is currently training individually under the supervision of the RBFA’s Performance Department.”

Argentina face further defensive concerns after Medina hobbled off with a calf issue during their last-32 victory over Cape Verde.

That match saw the return of Cristian Romero after the Tottenham defender’s group-stage knee injury, but Lionel Scaloni faces a new problem following Medina’s withdrawal, which caused him to miss their controversial last-16 win over Egypt.

Aurelien Tchouameni (France)

France have missed midfielder Tchouameni for their previous two games against Paraguay and Morocco due to an ongoing groin injury.

He is undergoing an individual recovery program, but his availability for the upcoming semi-final against either Spain or Belgium remains uncertain.

Victor Munoz (Spain)

New Liverpool signing Munoz has missed every game of the World Cup so far after sustaining a calf injury before the tournament, which was then compounded by a secondary muscular issue.