“The worst has happened”
Ter Stegen speaks out after a serious injury
02/05/2026 – 10:32 amReading time: 2 minutes
Marc-André ter Stegen changed his club to pursue his World Cup dream. Now the dream of competing in a major tournament as number one for the first time is in danger of being dashed.
The dream of the World Cup is becoming a distant dream for Marc-André ter Stegen. After his left thigh muscle injury, his chances of taking part in the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada have decreased significantly. Girona FC made the diagnosis public on Monday. On Thursday, the national goalkeeper also spoke out and explained his decision to have an operation on Instagram.
“For us athletes, the best thing is the competition: training and playing. I now have to take a break from all of that for several months because I decided to have an operation,” wrote the 33-year-old. The goalkeeper, who was loaned out from FC Barcelona to FC Girona, will undergo surgery on Friday. Given the long break, it seems difficult to imagine that he will be fully fit again in time for the XXL tournament from June 11th to July 19th.
Ter Stegen was still combative. “I am a positive person. This attitude has always accompanied me and helped me in every difficult situation – but this one is particularly hard for me,” he wrote in his emotional post in Spanish and English. At the same time he made it clear: “I will come back.”
Ter Stegen sustained the injury on Saturday during Girona’s 1-0 defeat at Real Oviedo. The goalkeeper also described the circumstances in his post: “The worst thing happened last weekend: I was injured in the game. I had only just arrived in Girona, where I was welcomed incredibly warmly from the first minute. I was really looking forward to being part of the team and helping to achieve our common goals.”
