Cristian Romero suffers injury blow for Argentina vs Austria in FIFA World Cup 2026
(Courtesy : Getty)
Romero had to come off before the hour mark in the World Cup match against Austria.
Argentina suffered a big injury blow during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J clash on June 22 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Influential defender Cristian Romero had to come off in the second half after a suspected knee injury.
The Tottenham Hotspur player started the match alongside Lisandro Martinez as their side’s centre-back pairing. He had a fine outing as well, making eight clearances and putting in a tackle.
However, a few minutes after the start of the second half, the defender went down holding his right knee after a coming together with an opponent. Despite being in significant discomfort, he attempted to jog it off and continued on the field for several minutes.
However, his night was soon over as he signalled to the bench to be brought off. Head coach Lionel Scaloni replaced him with veteran centre-back Nicolas Otamendi.
Also Read: All records Lionel Messi broke during Argentina vs Austria FIFA World Cup 2026 clash
Cristian Romero’s injury record
Romero has had a difficult injury history of late. He missed the latter stages of Tottenham’s fight against relegation, having suffered a serious knee injury in April. If this is a recurrence of that issue, Scaloni will likely need to redraw his defensive plans.
Otamendi, who is now 38 years old, is the most likely option to replace Romero if the need arises. Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi and Marseille’s Facundo Medina are the other players that Scaloni can call upon.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s record-breaking brace secured a scratchy 2-0 win for La Albiceleste and booked their place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
What happened to Cristian Romero vs Austria?
Romero suffered a suspected knee injury early in the second half and had to be substituted before the hour mark.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.