Alonso Martínez undergoes surgery for knee injury suffered on int'l duty with Costa Rica

Note: This story was originally published on Friday, November 14, at 7:55 pm ET. It was updated on Saturday, November 15 at 9:23 am ET after New York City FC confirmed the injury. It was updated again on Thursday, December 4, at 8:50 pm with confirmation Martínez had surgery to repair the ACL in his right knee.

New York City FC and Costa Rica men's national team striker Alonso Martínez injured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on his right knee while playing for Costa Rica in a World Cup Qualifier against Haiti on Thursday, November 13, according to the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol.

New York City confirmed that the striker "sustained a knee injury" in a press release issued early on Saturday, November 15. But the club offered no additional details until Thursday, December 4, when Martínez posted a post-surgery photo to his Instagram and the club shared a statement confirming his ACL repair.

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A post shared by Alonso Martínez (@_alonsomar11)

This will come as devastating news to New York City fans. Martínez isn't just the team's leading goalscorer; his intelligence and movement off the ball elevates the entire team, and creates opportunities for others to score. NYCFC are set to face Supporters' Shield-winning Philadelphia Union in nine days in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Subaru Park on Sunday, November 23. The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Martínez signed a contract extension with NYCFC in February that will keep hm at the club through 2027, with options for 2028 and 2029.

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The injury was first reported by journalist Kevin Jiménez, who posted on X that Martínez tore his ACL and meniscus. Jiménez posted that Martínez will be "out of action 8-9 months." In addition, Jiménez blamed the conditions of the field at Stadion Ergilio Hato in Willemstad, Curaçao, where the game was played. According to Jiménez, the field "was not fit to be played on."

Earlier, the Costa Rica confederation confirmed the injury to ESPN Centroamérica.

Haiti won the game, 1-0, to climb above Costa Rica and take 2nd Place in the table for Group I with one game to play. Costa Rica needed to beat Honduras on Tuesday, November 18, to have hope of advancing to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but they played to a 0-0 draw and were officially eliminated from the running for a World Cup spot.

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