Marcelo Flores to Miss World Cup for Canada Due to Knee Injury

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Marcelo Flores will not be participating in the World Cup for Canada after suffering a right knee injury during the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, as announced by his club, UANL Tigres, on Sunday. The 22-year-old midfielder tore his ACL in a non-contact incident in the 77th minute while playing against Toluca on Saturday night.

UANL Tigres confirmed that Flores "will undergo surgery in the coming days" to address the injury. In an emotional message on Instagram, Flores expressed gratitude for the support he received, stating, "These are difficult times, I just wanted to thank everyone for their messages. I haven’t been using my phone or checking my messages, but I promise to reply to everyone and I really appreciate your concern. I’ll come back stronger."

Flores recently switched his national eligibility from Mexico to Canada, a move confirmed in February. He was included in Canada's World Cup roster after previously playing three matches for Mexico's senior team, requiring FIFA clearance to represent Canada. Born in Georgetown, Ontario, to a Mexican father, he has a diverse football background, having been part of Arsenal’s academy and playing a season with Real Oviedo in Spain's second division before joining Tigres in 2023.

Canada, co-hosting the World Cup alongside Mexico and the United States, will kick off their campaign on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, followed by matches against Qatar and Switzerland in Vancouver.