U.S. men’s national team midfielder Johnny Cardoso is expected to miss the upcoming World Cup due to an ankle injury. Multiple outlets report that Cardoso will undergo ankle surgery and is therefore ruled out of tournament play. The Athletic and New York Post both describe the development as a major setback for the USMNT’s World Cup plans, while Al Jazeera places the injury within a broader context of other players already sidelined for the tournament. Cardoso, who plays for Atletico Madrid, suffers an injury significant enough to require surgical treatment rather than a short recovery. Sources agree that his absence affects the team’s midfield depth ahead of the competition. Specific timelines for his return are not consistently reported, but the expectation across coverage is that he will not be available for the World Cup matches. The USMNT is therefore likely to adjust its midfield options in advance of the tournament as it prepares to compete without Cardoso.