Sergiño Dest's World Cup Hopes in Jeopardy After Hamstring Injury: A Look at the Defender's Injury History and Road to Recovery
With just three months left until the 2026 World Cup, Sergiño Dest, a U.S. men's national team defender, suffered a hamstring injury during a match between PSV and AZ. The injury occurred after a collision with AZ defender Wouter Goes, leaving Dest in visible pain and needing assistance off the field. Despite his teammate Ricardo Pepi scoring a late winner for PSV, coach Peter Bosz expressed concerns about the severity of Dest's injury. It remains uncertain how long Dest will be sidelined, but his participation in upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal seems unlikely. This setback adds to Dest's history of health issues, including missing the 2024 Copa América due to an ACL injury. His recovery from that injury lasted nearly a year, with his return to play in March 2025. The upcoming matches in Atlanta are crucial as they are the final games before the World Cup squad is announced by USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino.