Argentina forward Joaquín Panichelli has torn his right ACL, an injury that rules him out of the World Cup and sidelines him for the remainder of the season with his club, Strasbourg.
"Tests conducted on forward Joaquín Panichelli confirmed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee... Stay strong, Joaco! We are with you," stated a medical report released on Friday on the Argentina national team's X account.
Panichelli, who is leading Ligue 1's scoring table with 16 goals, will require surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight months.
The injury occurred during the Argentine national team's training session on Thursday, held in preparation for Friday's friendly match against Mauritania in Buenos Aires. Panichelli, who was vying for a spot on the final World Cup squad, left the pitch in tears.
Before the game, Argentina's players wore jerseys bearing a message of support for Panichelli.
"Losing Panichelli to a torn ACL hurts a lot," Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez said after the 2-1 victory over Mauritania.
Panichelli, who made his debut for Argentina in November 2025 during a 2-0 friendly victory over Angola, had previously suffered the same injury to his right leg in 2024.
Information from ESPN Argentina and The Associated Press was used in this report.