Ligue 1 side Toulouse FC has announced Abu Francis will likely miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup following his horrific injury on Friday morning. 

The midfielder suffered a serious leg injury in the Black Stars defeat to Japan in the 2025 Kirin Challenge Cup. 

In an attempt to block a shot from Japanese midfielder Ao Tanaka,  the French-based central player broke his leg. 

Abu had to be stretchered off the pitch after the incident as he was visibly in pain from the collision. 

Following the end of the game, Toulouse released a statement on the player’s situation, confirming a long-term injury and putting his World Cup dreams in a limbo. 

“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 statement from the French club read. 

Abu was only making a return to the Black Stars setup after missing the last two call-ups. 

However, he couldn’t complete the game on his return to the starting lineup. 

The midfielder is expected to return to France to start his recovery from the injury.