Frenkie de Jong’s painful World Cup injury reveals stark contrast

En a statement to Ángel PérezPeriodista, 29‑year‑old Frenkie de Jong explained that a knee injury suffered during the past Mundial with the Países BajosAP national team will keep him out of action for several months, a fact confirmed in the update dated 14/08/2026 13:07 CEST.

Injury details and fallout

The midfielder described the incident as “an accident: someone fell on top of me”, adding that the initial tests showed only a “small thing in the knee”. He was told he could keep playing, albeit with discomfort and pain, and that the condition would not worsen.

De Jong later expressed how “very messed up” he feels, saying “it hurts a lot because what I love most is playing football, especially for Barcelona and the national team”. He emphasized his desire to explain the situation so the public understands what happened.

He also defended his reputation, claiming “they are damaging my image”. Despite the injury, he continued to play, noting “the World Cup is a dream and I would always do everything to play, as I have many times at Barça as well”.

After returning to Barcelona, De Jong contacted the club to arrange further examinations. The new tests revealed the injury was more serious than the earlier images taken in the United States, a development he described as “very hard because nobody expected it”.

Now, he faces a recovery period that will keep him sidelined for months, a situation he did not anticipate and that forces him to focus on rehabilitation before returning to the pitch.