Sidelined by knee injury, the Brazilian forward will appear on SporTV's 'Seleção Copa' program during the tournament in North America.
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Brazilian forward Rodrygo Goes of Real Madrid has been contracted by Globo to provide coverage of the World Cup after a serious knee injury ruled him out of the tournament, which begins in June across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The 26-year-old attacker will participate in SporTV's special World Cup coverage program, "Seleção Copa," which will broadcast from New York. Rodrygo confirmed the announcement on social media Friday, saying in a video message to fans: "Hey everyone. Just letting you know we'll see each other on SporTV's Seleção Copa. Big hug and see you there."
The program will be hosted by André Rizek and will feature established names from Brazilian football and sports television. Felipe Melo and Paulo Nunes will participate as regular contributors, while Luiz Felipe Scolari, Renato Augusto, D'Alessandro and Bruno Formiga will also be part of the project.
Rodrygo's participation in the broadcast represents an alternative way for him to remain involved with the tournament after his exclusion from Brazil's squad due to the right knee injury. The player described the opportunity as a different way to follow the competition after what he characterized as a traumatic cut from the national team.
In a separate development, Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt of Manchester United underwent back surgery and will miss the World Cup. The 26-year-old center-back, who has earned 52 caps for the Netherlands, was successfully operated on, according to an announcement from Manchester United on Friday. The club stated that surgery was the best option to address the back injury that has kept the player sidelined since November.
De Ligt will not return to action until the start of the next season, placing him outside the World Cup window. The former Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich player had started the season well with Manchester United, appearing in the club's first 13 Premier League matches before the back injury forced him off the pitch.
Carlo Ancelotti named the Santos forward in Brazil's pre-list for the 2026 tournament, though his final selection remains uncertain pending fitness recovery.
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The Uruguayan-born defender won four European Cups with Real Madrid between 1957 and 1966 and later managed Spain's 1982 World Cup campaign.
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