The United States Men’s National Team will be short of an option at center forward this summer. Today, Derby County announced that USMNT forward Patrick Agyemang will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering a “serious Achilles tendon injury” during the first half of their match yesterday against Stoke City.
The injury caused Agyemang to be stretchered off the field, and it was apparent very quickly that the injury was serious. Derby County didn’t identify what the exact injury was to his Achilles,
but it was deemed serious enough that he will not be available for selection by USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino for the World Cup.
The full statement from Derby County:
“The club can confirm Patrick Agyemang suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury during the first half of the Sky Bet Championship fixture against Stoke City. Patrick will be undergoing a further assessment of the injury later today. The club will provide Patrick with the highest level of medical care and rehabilitation throughout his recovery.”
“Everyone at Derby County is fully behind Patrick at this difficult time and will continue to support him every step of the way. As a result of this injury, Patrick will unfortunately miss this summer’s FIFA World Cup. At this stage it would be wrong to put a timeline on his recovery. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
It’s a devastating blow for the 25-year-old Agyemang, who was having a terrific year for Derby County. He had 10 goals in 38 appearances for the club this season in a breakthrough campaign. He also scored for the USMNT against Belgium on March 28th for his first national team goal of the year. He has six goals in 14 appearances since debuting for the USMNT in January 2025. He had become a favorite to hear his name called as part of the World Cup roster when it is announced on May 26th with his form. Unfortunately, that dream ends as he shifts to recovery mode.
