Mexico and South Africa are set to kick off the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, a game where both teams are expected to start without any significant injuries.
Mexico had faced difficulty with striker Santiago Gimenez, who recovered from an ankle injury but struggled in his campaign with AC Milan. Though there had been some question marks about Gimenez’s health leading up to the World Cup, a former Mexico legend believes that the struggles could be in the past.
Santiago Gimenez Recovered From Ankle Injury
Gimenez has been hampered by an ankle injury that impacted his play with Milan this season, where he failed to score a single Serie A goal for AC Milan during the 2025-26 season. While the performance led to concerns about how effective he could be in the World Cup, former Mexico star Jared Borgetti believes there is no reason to worry.
While Borgetti did believe that Gimenez was hampered by the injury, he said the goal-less campaign was more a reflection of AC Milan’s struggles.
“Unfortunately, the move to Italy hasn’t been a good year for Santiago, but it’s not solely due to the player or his problems,” Borgetti told Goal.com. “I think his injury has also played a significant role in preventing him from achieving consistency, competing for a starting position, and reaching the level he showed in the Netherlands.
“I believe Milan as a whole hasn’t been performing well, and when a team isn’t playing well, no player can truly stand out. To say that any player stood out at Milan this season, I think we’d be exaggerating or just saying it for the sake of it, so, I don’t think the team helped much either.”
Santiago Gimenez Stands By Decision to Get Surgery
Gimenez said he had been playing through pain through the season with Milan, which led him to start thinking about his status for the World Cup. As Gimenez looked ahead, he realized that he would need to undergo surgery in order to be fully ready for the World Cup, even if it would set him back for the immediate term.
“Last May, I couldn’t believe I have this opportunity with Milan, with the World Cup, with my national team, with my people,” Gimenez told ESPN. “But then, the pain starts coming, and it was the decision to do surgery or to don’t do it. It’s an important season with Milan and then comes the World Cup, so it was a tough decision. But in the end, now that it is one month from the surgery, I can say it was the best decision.”
Speaking to ESPN earlier this year, Gimenez said he was confident he made the right decision in the end.
“Now, I’m really happy that I had the surgery and am just looking forward to come back stronger,” he said.
No Significant Injuries for Mexico vs. South Africa
Gimenez was able to return to the Mexican team in full health, joining a squad ready to start at full strength. There were no significant injuries listed for rostered players on either Mexico or South Africa ahead of Thursday’s match to kick off the 2026 World Cup.
Mexico did take a hit before the World Cup, with goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón and midfielder Marcel Ruiz both being ruled out, along with defender Jesús Orozco Chiquete and Rodrigo Huescas are also ruled out.
Mexico vs. South Africa Injury Updates: Good News on Santiago Gimenez’s Status