Becky Sauerbrunn, the captain of the U.S. national team, will miss the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup due to a significant foot injury. Sauerbrunn took to social media expressing her disappointment, revealing that her recovery timeline was too uncertain for her to make a timely return. As the team prepares to announce its final 23-player roster, they will play a send-off match against Wales on July 9 before heading to the tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Sauerbrunn’s absence is a major setback for the team, as she is widely recognized as one of the world’s top players in the center back position. Her contributions were instrumental in the team’s triumphs in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Sauerbrunn, who competes for the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League, suffered the foot injury in April and has been sidelined since then.
Despite this setback, Sauerbrunn remains supportive of her teammates and believes in their abilities. The United States, four-time World Cup winners, will kick off their campaign against Vietnam on July 22 in Auckland.
In addition to Sauerbrunn’s injury, the U.S. team has encountered other challenges, including forward Mallory Swanson’s knee surgery and forward Catarina Macario ruling herself out of the World Cup due to an ACL tear suffered while playing for her French club team.
Despite the setbacks, the U.S. team remains determined to bring home their fifth World Cup trophy.