The 19-year-old Barcelona player cried as he left the field due to injury in the 24th minute in Valladolid.
During their final European Championship qualifying game on Sunday, Spain midfielder Gavi suffered a potentially serious right knee injury and had to be substituted in the first half. The team won 3-1 against Georgia.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expressed, “Our player, Barcelona, the federation, the national team, his teammates, and I are all facing a very hard and difficult moment. We are distraught. The mood in the locker room resembled a loss. However, this is part of soccer, this is its ugly side.”
A few minutes before having to come off, Gavi collided with a Georgia player, sustaining a hard hit to the side of his right knee. Despite the initial impact, he continued playing and seemed to experience further discomfort in the same leg while attempting to control a ball. Immediately after, he signaled to the team that he could not continue.
After scoring in the second half to make it 2-1, Spain forward Ferran Torres held up Gavi’s jersey. Gavi, who has become a key player for both Barcelona and Spain, started every game for Spain at last year’s World Cup. His goal against Norway in October played a crucial role in securing a 1-0 win, qualifying his nation for Euro 2024 next year.
At the age of 18, he won the Kopa Trophy last year for being the best under-21 player.
