Bayern Munich’s 6-1 Champions League win over Atalanta BC in Bergamo on Tuesday took an unsettling turn for Canadian soccer fans when Alphonso Davies was helped off the field in visible distress. The Edmonton-born star covered his face with his shirt as he left the field, and looked a bit tearful on the sidelines as Bayern coach Vincent Kompany came over to comfort him.
The incident went down in the 70th minute after what appeared to be a non-contact issue, while Bayern led 6-0. He dropped into a squat, signalled frustration immediately and was soon surrounded by teammates, who shielded him from view before Bayern staff helped him off. On the touchline, he appeared to gesture toward his right thigh as medical attention continued, according to AP News.
Although there was some initial hope that the setback might not be severe, on Wednesday, Bayern confirmed that Davies was diagnosed with a muscle strain in his right hamstring, meaning he’ll be sidelined for now, with no recovery timeline provided.
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Davies had only recently worked his way back onto the field after another hamstring problem in late February, and this season already came after a far more serious absence tied to the ACL injury he suffered while playing for Canada last year.
For a player who remains one of the defining faces of the Canadian men’s national team, another setback this close to summer carries obvious weight: if the injury is serious, it could affect his availability for Canada at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As we previously reported, Canada is scheduled to play Iceland on March 28 and Tunisia on March 31 at BMO Field in Toronto, and Toronto will host Canada’s opening match on June 12.
Whether Davies is available for any of that remains unclear, but the sight of him leaving Tuesday’s match in tears was enough to shift the mood well beyond Bavaria.
“damnit. We really need him this summer,” one user said in a recent Reddit thread discussing Davies’ injuries, while another said, “Really sad to see his career start to be derailed by injuries. Has all the tools to be the best fullback in the world but can’t seem to manage to stay on the pitch.”
