Riqui Puig, 26-year-old Spanish midfielder, a product of FC Barcelona's academy who left the club in 2022 to join LA Galaxy, has undergone surgery and will no longer play this year.
Puig suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee while playing in the Western Conference final against Seattle Sounder on November 30, 2024 (he even played 30 minutes still injured). He did not play in 2025, and required further surgery, which means that he will also not play in 2026.
The club confirmed in a statement that "Puig is expected to make a full recovery and be ready to rejoin the team for the start of the 2027 MLS season".
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Puig became one of the best players of the MLS team, and despite his injury, he helped his team reach the Conference Final with an assist in the previous match. In total, he had 37 goal contributions (17 goals, 20 assists) in 36 matches played across all competitions during the 2024 season. LA Galaxy later won the MLS Cup in 2024, becoming the team with more victories in the MLS (six).
Unfortunately, when Riqui Puig returns, he will only have a shorter MLS season to play: the 2027 season will consist of only 14 games across regular season, play-offs, and MLS Cup between February and May 2027, as the North American soccer league will adopt a different calendar, with seasons starting in late summer and ending in late spring the following year, as in Europe.