FIFA releases more tickets to 2026 World Cup games
FIFA released a new batch of tickets to all 104 games of the 2026 World Cup on April 22nd.
Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Xavi Simons left the team’s Saturday match on a stretcher after injuring his right knee in a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, immediately putting his status for the World Cup with the Netherlands in question.
Simons was in a footrace for a long ball from the goalkeeper in the 57th minute, but after taking his first touch, he stayed on the ground in pain for several minutes.
Hopes were raised that he may be able to continue when he tried to stand on his own power, but he soon was back on the ground slapping the field in pain. The stretcher was required to take the 23-year-old off the pitch, and he was replaced by Lucas Bergvall in the 63rd minute.
Born in Amsterdam, Simons developed his skills largely in Spain before joining Paris Saint-Germain academy and making his professional debut with the French team in 2021. A year later he would make his Netherlands senior national team debut.
He has suited up for the Oranje more than two dozen times and is in manager Ronald Koeman’s plan for North America. Simons came into the Netherlands’ March friendly against Norway as a substitute and played 21 minutes, then started the second March game against Ecuador, going 71 minutes.
A long-term knee injury could keep him out of the tournament and deny the Netherlands a creative spark in the attack.
