Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig will require surgery after a “setback” in his recovery from the torn knee ligament that saw him miss all of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, the Los Angeles Galaxy said Friday. Puig, 26, tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference final, missing the Galaxy’s title-clinching victory in the MLS Cup final a week later and all of a 2025 campaign in which the team struggled without him, winning only seven games.
Puig, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, had returned to training with the Southern California club last autumn. Now his return to MLS action is in limbo.
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“Riqui Puig suffered a setback in his ACL recovery while in Barcelona, Spain,” the Galaxy said. “After consulting with club medical staff and outside specialists, it was determined that he would undergo a procedure (Saturday) on his left knee.”
Since arriving in the United States in 2022, Puig has played 74 matches, scoring 27 goals and recording 23 assists across the regular season and playoffs. In May of 2024, he signed a new contract with the Galaxy to stay with the club until 2027.
© 2024 AFP
