Jamal Musiala Suffers Gruesome Ankle Injury in Bayern Munich’s Club World Cup Loss
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala sustained a severe ankle injury during his team’s 2-0 quarterfinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup on Saturday in Atlanta, casting a shadow over the match and raising concerns about the young midfielder’s future availability. The 22-year-old German international, widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in the world, was injured in a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma late in the first half.
The incident occurred as Musiala challenged for a loose ball in the attacking third. Donnarumma dove at the ball and landed awkwardly on Musiala’s left leg, resulting in a visibly distressing injury. “When the play cleared up, his left ankle could be clearly seen dangling to the side,” a witness reported. Bayern players immediately signaled for medical attention, and teammates surrounded Musiala, visibly shaken by the severity of the injury. He was subsequently stretchered off the field and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl downplayed any suggestion of overexertion, stating, “For me, this isn’t a result of constant playing. It is more of an accident, it happened, and this is obviously bad for us.” Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the injury appeared serious but refraining from offering a specific diagnosis. “It didn’t look good,” Kompany said. “If I’m just watching the images, it looked like an ankle injury of some kind, but I’m not going to make a diagnosis here.”
Despite the injury to Musiala, PSG secured a 2-0 victory, fueled by a goal from Desire Doue in the 78th minute and a late strike from Ousmane Dembele in added time. However, the match was not without its drama for the French champions, as they finished with nine men following red cards issued to Willian Pacho for a dangerous tackle and Lucas Hernandez for an elbow to the face. Despite the two-man advantage, Bayern Munich were unable to find an equalizer. PSG will now advance to the semifinals, where they will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund next week.
The injury is a significant blow to both Bayern Munich and the German national team. Musiala was named Germany’s national team player of the year last year and has quickly established himself as a key figure for both club and country. Having debuted for Bayern at just 17 years old, he also became the youngest player to represent Germany at a World Cup since 1958. He is widely projected to become one of the world’s elite players in the coming years, and this injury casts uncertainty over his development and immediate future.
