BREAKING NEWS: Lionel Messi suffers first 2026 World Cup squad blow as Argentina teammate suffers season-ending injury….see more

One of the marquee matchups of the weekend saw Real Madrid visit Villarreal on Saturday, with Los Blancos earning a convincing 2-0 road victory.

The most concerning moment came in the 21st minute, when Juan Foyth went down inside his own box and was eventually substituted, unable to put weight on his left foot. Although Villarreal have not provided a recovery timeline, Achilles tendon ruptures typically require between four and six months of rehabilitation.

Under that scenario, the defender would be unable to return in time to be fully fit for the World Cup, which is set to kick off on June 11. Foyth featured in Argentina’s most recent match against Angola, where Scaloni experimented with a back three alongside Cristian Romero and natural left back Nicolás Tagliafico.

In a traditional back four (Scaloni’s preferred system) Romero and Nicolás Otamendi have remained the first-choice pairing that helped Argentina top the 2026 World Cup qualifying standings. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martínez is gradually returning to form at Manchester United after recovering from an ACL injury, leaving limited alternatives at center back.

At the 2022 World Cup, Scaloni called up five center backs (including the versatile Foyth) with two remaining roster spots likely to be contested by Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi, Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, and River Plate’s Lautaro Rivero.