England beat Mexico. Then their veteran midfielder ended up in a hospital bed.
Jordan Henderson was stretchered off the field in Mexico City on Sunday night - not from a tackle, but from a fall during the postgame celebration. Moments after England's dramatic 3-2 win at Estadio Azteca, the squad joined their traveling fans in the now-traditional singalong of Oasis' "Wonderwall." Henderson tried to hop over an advertising board behind the goal, clipped his foot on the way down, and fell hard, bracing himself with his left arm.
Teammate Dan Burn spotted him grabbing his wrist and immediately signaled for medical staff. Henderson was taken off on a stretcher and transported to a hospital in Mexico City, while the rest of the squad flew back to the team's training base without him.
England manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed the injury after the match: "He injured his wrist. He is at the moment in the hospital. It is quite a serious injury. It just doesn't fit to the evening that Jordan is now not with us."
Reports since indicate Henderson may need wrist surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the tournament - a hard ending for a player who, just weeks earlier, became the first England men's player to appear in four World Cups.
It's a strange footnote to what was otherwise one of England's best wins on foreign soil in the program's history - over 40 minutes played with ten men, at altitude, against a World Cup co-host that had lost just twice at home in 89 matches. As England prepares to face Norway in the quarterfinals, fans and fellow players across the football world have been sending well wishes for a full recovery - a reminder that even in a tournament defined by triumph, an ordinary moment can knock a career milestone sideways in an instant.
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