Jordan Henderson was carried from the Estadio Azteca on a stretcher, needing oxygen, after a freak accident during England’s World Cup celebrations. The 36-year-old midfielder attempted to jump over advertising hoardings to reach the travelling fans following England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico, but landed awkwardly on his arm and sustained a badly broken wrist. He was rushed to hospital in Mexico City while the rest of the squad flew back to their base in Kansas City.
Henderson is expected to have surgery and is now a major doubt for the rest of the tournament. It could be his final action as an England player, as this World Cup was widely seen as his last. Manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed the severity: “Jordan just fell over and injured his wrist. It looks really bad. It’s a quite serious injury and it doesn’t fit to the evening that Jordan is now not with us. The doctor told me he is in hospital.”
“Jordan Henderson is expected to miss the rest of the World Cup after breaking his wrist celebrating England's win over Mexico.”
Despite the devastating blow, Henderson refused to let it sour his memories. On Instagram, he wrote: “A night to remember that’s for sure! What an incredible performance against all the different challenges. So proud to be a part of this special team. Thanks for all the support, another big one Saturday.” His teammates responded swiftly: Declan Rice called him “Some man,” Morgan Rogers said “What a guy,” while Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence added heart emojis.
England defender Guehi gave an update on Henderson’s state of mind, telling the FA’s Lions’ Den show: “Hendo’s good, man. Hendo’s in a better place than he was yesterday, and it was obviously scary for him and his family and for everyone else, but we’re just glad that he’s on the road to speedy recovery.” Henderson is determined to remain with the squad and has been in regular contact with his teammates.
Tuchel is now set to instruct his players to avoid jumping over hoardings to prevent a repeat. Henderson, who won his 90th cap in the group stage against Panama, is the only England men’s player to have featured at four World Cups. His leadership and experience were key reasons Tuchel selected him despite widespread opposition. Whether Henderson will travel with the squad for Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway remains unclear.