Éder Militão
Éder Militão is a Brazilian international central defender at Real Madrid; ruled out of the 2026 World Cup following hamstring surgery.
Last refreshed: 11 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How do Brazil plug the Militão gap at centre-back after back-to-back injury setbacks?
Timeline for Éder Militão
Ruled out of 2026 World Cup with hamstring surgery
2026 FIFA World Cup: Neymar on Brazil's 55-man preliminary list- Why is Éder Militão not at the 2026 World Cup?
- Militão was ruled out of Brazil's preliminary 55-man squad on 9 May 2026 due to hamstring surgery. It is his second major injury in three years, following an ACL tear in September 2023.Source: Lowdown
- Who is Éder Militão?
- Militão is a Brazilian centre-back who has been Real Madrid's first-choice defender since 2021. A 193cm commanding presence, he won three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles with Real alongside Rüdiger.
- How does Militão's absence affect Brazil at the 2026 World Cup?
- Militão was expected to be Brazil's first-choice centre-back. His hamstring injury forces Ancelotti to find a new defensive partnership, after also losing Rodrygo from the squad through injury.Source: Lowdown
Background
Éder Militão was ruled out of Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad on 9 May 2026 when Carlo Ancelotti announced a preliminary 55-man list from which the Real Madrid defender was absent due to hamstring surgery. Combined with Rodrygo's ACL and meniscus injuries, Brazil lose two of their most prominent Real Madrid exports from the squad.
Militão has been Real Madrid's first-choice centre-back since 2021, forming a key partnership alongside Antonio Rüdiger at the Bernabéu. A commanding physical presence at 193cm, he won three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles with Real. He suffered his own ACL injury during a La Liga match in September 2023 — coincidentally the same window as Neymar — and returned to first-team football in 2024-25.
The hamstring surgery ruling him out of the 2026 tournament represents a second major injury setback within three years. At 27 in June 2026, Militão would theoretically be in his prime for the tournament. His absence creates a potential problem for Ancelotti's Brazil, who will need to identify a reliable centre-back partnership.
