Toluca announced on Friday that midfielder Marcel Ruiz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 25-year-old suffered the injury on Wednesday during a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against San Diego FC of Major League Soccer. Toluca confirmed he also sustained a meniscus tear in the same joint and will undergo surgery.
The announcement came three days after Club América goalkeeper Luis Malagón was diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg. Mexico has now lost two key players in the space of seventy-two hours, less than three months before the country hosts the World Cup opener at Azteca Stadium on June 11.
Who Marcel Ruiz Is and What He Brought to the Squad
Ruiz received his first call-up to the senior national team in 2023. He has since become one of the more consistent presences in Mexico's midfield under manager Javier Aguirre, who took charge in August 2024. Ruiz had accumulated 17 caps with the national team and was expected to make his first World Cup appearance.
At club level, Ruiz was central to Toluca's second consecutive Liga MX championship, won last December. His role in that run highlighted the qualities that made him a national team fixture: positional discipline, work rate across both defensive and offensive phases, and consistency over a long season.
The timing of the injury is particularly difficult. The CONCACAF Champions Cup match in which Ruiz was hurt was a club competition, not a national team fixture. The injury occurred outside the international window, during the dense domestic and continental schedule that Mexican clubs carry into the early months of a World Cup year.
The Club's Response
Toluca's official statement expressed solidarity with the player. The club said it regrets what happened and stands with Ruiz as he prepares for surgery and a rehabilitation process that will extend well beyond the World Cup period.
ACL surgery followed by standard rehabilitation typically requires between nine and twelve months before a player returns to competitive football. Even in the most favourable scenario, Ruiz would not be available for competitive play until early 2027 at the earliest.
What the Losses Mean for Mexico's Preparation
Mexico's coaching staff now faces a significant selection challenge. The squad still has other injured players, including right back Rodrigo Huescas, who tore a knee ligament last November and whose return timeline is uncertain. The combination of injuries affects both specific positions and the general depth of options Aguirre has available for the tournament.
Mexico has approximately ten weeks between now and the opening match. In that window, the squad can add form players and explore new combinations. But no replacement can replicate tournament experience, or the specific roles Ruiz and Malagón had been expected to fill. The losses introduce a degree of uncertainty into Mexico's preparation that the squad will need to manage as the tournament approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What injury did Marcel Ruiz sustain?
A: Marcel Ruiz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and also suffered a meniscus tear in the same joint. The injury occurred on Wednesday, March 12, during a CONCACAF Champions Cup match between Toluca and San Diego FC. Ruiz will undergo surgery and is expected to miss the World Cup.
Q: How many caps did Marcel Ruiz have for Mexico?
A: Ruiz had 17 senior international caps for Mexico at the time of the injury. He received his first call-up in 2023 and had been a consistent member of Javier Aguirre's squad since the manager took charge in August 2024. The World Cup would have been his first.
Q: Who was the other Mexican player to suffer a serious injury in the same week?
A: Club América goalkeeper Luis Malagón was diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg on Wednesday, March 12. Malagón's diagnosis came three days before Toluca announced Ruiz's ACL tear, making it two major injury losses for Mexico in the space of seventy-two hours.
Q: How long does ACL recovery typically take for a footballer?
A: Standard ACL surgery and rehabilitation typically requires between nine and twelve months before a player returns to competitive football. Given that surgery for Ruiz has not yet taken place, the earliest realistic return to competitive play would be early 2027.
Q: Who is Mexico's World Cup manager and when did he take charge?
A: Javier Aguirre has been Mexico's manager since August 2024. He is overseeing the squad's preparation for the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico co-hosts alongside the United States and Canada. Mexico opens the tournament against South Africa at Azteca Stadium on June 11.
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