In a devastating blow to both Bayern Munich and the Canadian national soccer team, star left-back Alphonso Davies has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. The injury, sustained during international duty with Canada, was confirmed by Bayern Munich on Wednesday, March 26, and will require immediate surgery. Davies is expected to be sidelined for a lengthy period, with recovery timelines suggesting he could miss six to nine months, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the 2024/25 club season and the FIFA Club World Cup in June and July.
The 24-year-old Canadian captain suffered the injury during Canada’s 2-1 victory over the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match on Sunday. Davies was substituted just 12 minutes into the game after going down following a tackle from U.S. player Patrick Agyemang. Initial assessments from Canadian staff suggested it might have been a minor knock, but subsequent medical evaluations in Munich revealed the severity of the damage.
Bayern Munich released a statement confirming the diagnosis: “FC Bayern will be without Alphonso Davies for a lengthy period as the left-back has been diagnosed with a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee following his return from international duty with the Canadian national team. He will undergo surgery today.” The club also noted that center-back Dayot Upamecano will miss several weeks due to a separate knee injury, compounding their defensive woes.
Max Eberl, Bayern’s board member for sport, expressed the club’s dismay: “Unfortunately, there’s always the risk of players returning from international breaks with injuries – this time we’ve been hit particularly hard. The absence of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano weighs heavily on FC Bayern. Phonzy will get all the support he needs on his road to recovery.”
The injury has sparked controversy, with Davies’ agent, Nedal Huoseh, publicly criticizing Canada Soccer and head coach Jesse Marsch for their handling of the situation. In a statement to OneSoccer, Huoseh claimed that Davies was not fully fit after Canada’s semifinal match against Mexico on Thursday and was not intended to start against the U.S. “Alphonso was not 100 percent after the Mexico game, and it was planned that he was not going to start against the U.S.A.,” Huoseh said. “As a captain, I feel he was pressured to start the game by the coach. Alphonso is not the kind of guy to say no in those moments. He ended up playing, and look what happened. Canada Soccer needs to do a better job managing these players.”
Huoseh added that Davies was “down and obviously very disappointed” but expressed confidence in Bayern’s world-class medical team to guide him through recovery. Canada Soccer responded with a statement of support via chief communications officer Paulo Senra: “We want to express our full support for our men’s national team captain, Alphonso Davies, as he recovers from this unfortunate injury. Phonzie’s strength and resilience matches his world-class talent, and we all look forward to fully supporting him during his recovery.”
Davies, who recently signed a contract extension with Bayern until 2030, has been a cornerstone of the team since joining from the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018. With 226 appearances, 14 goals, and 34 assists, the dynamic full-back has helped Bayern secure five Bundesliga titles, a Champions League trophy, and numerous other accolades. His absence will test Bayern’s depth as they aim to maintain their lead in the Bundesliga and compete in the Champions League under manager Vincent Kompany.