Former Barcelona sensation joins growing list of players with ACL injuries

Riqui Puig was considered a sensation when he first broke into the Barcelona first team in 2018, although he ultimately failed to deliver on the early promise he showed. He was eventually sold to MLS side LA Galaxy when he was flourishing – and especially in the last 12 months.

Along with former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, Puig has been arguably the best player in MLS throughout the 2024 season. He played an important role in LA Galaxy reaching the MLS Cup final, which will be played against New York Red Bulls next weekend. However, he will not play a role in that showdown event.

According to Sport, Puig has torn his anterior cruciate ligament. He suffered the serious injury while playing in LA Galaxy's win over Seattle Sounders earlier this weekend – remarkably, he still managed to finish the match.

Puig is the latest in a long line of players to suffer a cruciate ligament injury in recent years. His former club Barcelona have also been affected, with Gavi and Marc Bernal both doing the same in the past thirteen months.