Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed Xavi Simons ruptured his ACL against Wolves, ruling the Dutch midfielder out for the rest of the season and ending his World Cup dream.
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 23-year-old now faces surgery and a lengthy spell on the sidelines in what is one of the cruelest blows of Spurs’ troubled campaign.
We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks… pic.twitter.com/FUEf5VrZnx
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 27, 2026
Simons sustained the injury during Tottenham’s hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Wolves on Saturday. The midfielder went down in visible pain midway through the second half and was eventually carried off on a stretcher after failing to continue.
Scans have now confirmed the worst fears, with the club announcing on Monday that reconstructive surgery will take place in the coming weeks before rehabilitation begins.
In an emotional message posted on social media, Simons admitted he was struggling to come to terms with the setback. The Netherlands international described himself as heartbroken, saying his season had ended abruptly just when he wanted to be fighting for his team in the final stretch. He also revealed the injury has crushed his hopes of representing his country at this summer’s World Cup, a tournament he had been widely expected to feature in prominently.
That international absence is a particularly bitter pill for Simons, who had become an important figure for Netherlands national football team manager Ronald Koeman. Having already earned 34 senior caps and featured during the March friendlies, the midfielder looked certain to be part of Oranje’s plans for what would have been only his second World Cup appearance. Instead, he now faces months of recovery while watching the tournament from afar.
For Tottenham, the timing could hardly be worse. Spurs are currently languishing in 18th place in the Premier League table and remain locked in a desperate battle to avoid relegation. Simons had emerged as one of their few bright sparks in recent weeks, offering creativity, ball progression and attacking drive at a time when confidence around the squad had been dangerously low. Losing him for the final weeks of the season strips the North London side of one of their most dynamic players.
The injury has also intensified scrutiny on Tottenham’s wider fitness issues. Across fan forums and online discussion, many supporters pointed to the club’s alarming number of serious muscular and knee injuries this season, with some calling it another chapter in what has become a cursed campaign physically as much as tactically.
The Simons setback is reportedly among multiple ACL-related concerns Tottenham have suffered over the last two seasons, deepening frustration among the fanbase.
