Amadou Onana injury ends Belgium's World Cup run

Amadou Onana’s World Cup ended after 21 minutes in Seattle. Belgium beat the USA 4-1 in the round of 16 at Lumen Field, but Onana was withdrawn at the midway point of the first half and later seen on crutches after a serious knee injury.

Belgium lose their midfield anchor

The exit leaves Belgium with an immediate midfield problem. Hans Vanaken replaced Onana in the first half and stayed on for 71 minutes, finishing with a goal and a 7.3 rating. Belgium still had enough to get through the match, with USA vs Belgium turning into a comfortable win after the break, but Onana’s injury is the bigger story.

The reported recovery window is six to nine months, which pushes the issue well beyond this tournament. That also creates an awkward problem for Aston Villa, where Onana has made 57 starts and 15 substitute outings since his £50m move from Everton in 2024.

Villa have already had to manage Boubacar Kamara’s six-month layoff with a serious knee injury, so this is not a clean setback they can easily absorb. Onana had started Belgium’s last-16 win over the USA, and the injury now leaves both club and country waiting on a long recovery rather than a quick return.

What comes next for Villa and Belgium

Belgium will need to reshape the midfield around the players left in the squad, and Vanaken’s response in Seattle gives them one option to build from. The club situation is harder to shrug off. Villa finished fourth in the Premier League, and losing another central midfielder for most of the next season is a real blow to a side that has been building around that level.

The next milestone is not a fixture, but a return date. Six to nine months is the timeline being used, and that means Onana is set to miss the rest of the World Cup and a large chunk of the coming campaign.