Ligue 1 club Toulouse FC has confirmed that Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis is expected to miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the severe leg injury he sustained during Ghana’s defeat to Japan in the Kirin Challenge Cup on Friday.
The 24-year-old suffered the injury early in the second half while attempting to block a shot from Japan’s Ao Tanaka. The collision resulted in a serious leg fracture, with Abu screaming in pain as teammates rushed to his aid. He was stretchered off the pitch and taken to Toyota Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment.
In a statement issued shortly after the match, Toulouse said the midfielder faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“After sustaining a terrible injury against the Japanese, our midfielder will be sidelined for several months and will, unfortunately, likely miss the 2026 World Cup in the United States,” the club announced.
The setback comes at a difficult time for Abu, who had just returned to the Black Stars squad after missing the September and October World Cup qualifiers. Friday’s match marked his return to the starting lineup, but his play ended barely ten minutes into the second half.
Abu is expected to travel back to France to begin surgery preparations and commence his long rehabilitation process under the supervision of Toulouse’s medical team.
Ghana lost the match 2–0, with goals from Takumi Minamino and Ritsu Doan. The Black Stars continue their Asian tour with a fixture against South Korea on Tuesday.
