[SPOTV News=Reporter Park Dae-sung] Xavi Simons (23) — the player handed the iconic No. 7 shirt after Son Heung-min’s move to LAFC — has suffered a devastating injury. He ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will miss the remainder of 2026, facing roughly a year of rehabilitation. The setback not only removes him from Tottenham’s survival push but also ends his hopes of playing at this summer’s World Cup.
Italian transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reported on April 27 (KST) that Simons ruptured his ACL and will be unavailable for Tottenham’s remaining fixtures. Romano added that Simons is expected to be sidelined for all of 2026 and to return in 2027.
Simons posted on his official channels: “People say life can be cruel — today that really feels true. My season has suddenly ended and I’m struggling to cope. Honestly, I’m devastated and my heart hurts so much.”
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Tottenham beat Wolverhampton 1-0 on April 25 at Molineux in their 2025–26 Premier League Round 34 match. While the win was Spurs’ first league victory of 2026, Simons’ injury casts a long shadow over their bid to climb out of the relegation zone.
Simons went down in the 57th minute while driving into the attack and contesting a defender. He lost his balance, fell and immediately clutched his right knee, clearly in severe pain. Staff later determined a sudden load on his knee during the sprint caused major ligament damage.
He tried to keep playing through the pain, but was stretchered off in the 64th minute. Scans confirmed a ruptured ACL that will require surgery and a lengthy rehab. That rules him out for the rest of the 2026 season and ends his chance to join the Netherlands at the World Cup in North America this summer.
Tottenham have not yet issued an official statement, but Simons’ own message spelled out the severity. “People say life can be cruel, and today I really feel that. My season has abruptly ended, and I’m trying to come to terms with it. Honestly, my heart is broken. Nothing makes sense right now,” he wrote.
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He expressed deep frustration at being unable to help a team fighting relegation and at missing what would have been the biggest stage of his career. “I wanted to fight for the team, and now that opportunity has been taken from me. My dream of representing the Netherlands at the World Cup is gone,” he said.
Simons added that while it will take time to accept the situation, he will remain close to the squad and support his teammates. “I’ll do everything I can to be the best teammate while I’m out. I have no doubt we’ll get through this fight together,” he wrote, pledging his backing to Tottenham’s survival push.
“I’m already counting the days until I can return to the pitch. I’ll walk this road with conviction. I will be back, so please wait for me. COYS (Come On You Spurs),” he added.
After Son moved to LAFC last summer, Tottenham searched for the right player to inherit the symbolic No. 7. In a late-window scramble they beat Chelsea to sign Simons from RB Leipzig. The reported €65 million (approximately $69.6 million) fee (about 112.7 billion KRW (approximately $84.5 million)) was a club-record transfer.
On joining Spurs, Simons said, “Son Heung-min wrote his own story with this number. He deserves it. Seeing how the club and fans treated him shows how loved he is. Everyone loved Son. I wanted to wear No. 7 and write my own story.”
Reality, however, has been tougher. Simons struggled at times this season to adapt to the Premier League’s intense pressing and tempo. He had started to find form recently and had emerged as a key creative option in Tottenham’s fight to avoid relegation, but this serious injury halts that momentum.
Tottenham sit 18th and are embroiled in a relegation battle, so losing Simons is a major blow. With limited creative alternatives and their record signing sidelined, manager Roberto De Zerbi faces a significant disruption to his plans to keep the club up.
