LA Galaxy star Riqui Puig to miss the 2026 MLS season | OneFootball

MLS legacy side LA Galaxy have officially confirmed the fate of star midfielder Riqui Puig.

The 26-year-old former La Masia graduate went under the knife today, coming through a successful anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery on his left knee, according to an official brief from the Galaxy.

And with that, Puig's timeline for return has also been revealed.

Despite being expected to make a full recovery, Puig will not be ready to rejoin the Galaxy senior setup until the start of the 2027 MLS season.

Puig originally sustained his injury during the second half of the 2024 Western Conference Final at Dignity Health Sports Park against the Seattle Sounders, though he went on to provide the game-winning assist in the contest.

This latest update comes as a massive blow for the Galaxy, who were primed to retool the squad under Greg Vanney to make amends for a disastrous 2025 campaign.

Deals for Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak addressed issues in the spine of the team, and Puig's hopeful return was meant to return one of the brightest talents in MLS to the heart of midfield.

Since arriving in SoCal in 2022, the two-time MLS All-Star (2023, 2024) has recorded 29 goals and 32 assists in 82 appearances across all competitions for the Galaxy.

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