Atletico Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso is facing a race against time to be fit for the 2026 World Cup after the club confirmed he has suffered a 'high-grade' ankle sprain. The injury, which typically requires at least a month to heal, means the 24-year-old is unlikely to feature for the Spanish side again this season.

This setback casts serious doubt over Cardoso's availability for the USMNT's World Cup campaign, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino expected to announce his final roster in less than three weeks. The American international had been tipped to play a pivotal role in midfield alongside Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, making this injury particularly untimely.

Cardoso, who earned his 23rd cap in the 5-2 friendly defeat to Belgium in March, has struggled with fitness since joining Atletico from Real Betis last summer. He has already missed 12 games due to various injuries this season, and has managed only one goal involvement in 30 appearances across all competitions.

If Cardoso fails to recover in time, Pochettino may turn to Tanner Tessmann or Cristian Roldan to partner the guaranteed starter Adams in midfield. The USMNT have two high-profile friendlies against Senegal and Germany before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 13 at SoFi Stadium.

As one of the host nations, the United States face immense pressure to make a deep run in the tournament. They have not advanced beyond the quarter-finals since finishing third in 1930, and will also face Australia and Turkey—who qualified via the European play-offs—in Group B.

For Cardoso, the next few weeks will be crucial as he battles to prove his fitness and secure his spot on the plane for the biggest stage in football.