International teammates Ryan Gravenberch and Joshua Zirkzee send messages of support to injured Xavi Simons.
Ryan Gravenberch and Joshua Zirkzee were among the first to send messages of support to Xavi Simons after the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder confirmed he has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture that will end his season and rule him out of the World Cup with the Netherlands this summer.
Simons broke his silence on Sunday night with an emotional Instagram post that laid bare the devastation of an injury sustained under no contact during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Wolves. The 23-year-old was helped from the pitch on a stretcher at Molineux before Roberto De Zerbi confirmed a knee injury post-match, with the full extent of the damage confirmed on Monday.
As reported by Football Insider, both Gravenberch and Zirkzee, his Netherlands international teammates, responded to the post with heart and prayer emojis, a simple but meaningful gesture of solidarity from players who understand exactly what the loss of a World Cup means to a footballer at the peak of his career.
And Jurrien Timber from heated rivals (also his International teammate), also dropped a comment:
Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, himself currently recovering from an ACL injury suffered earlier this year, also sent a message, writing simply:
“Get well soon.”
The response from a player navigating the same gruelling rehabilitation process added particular resonance to what was already an outpouring of support from across the game.
Simons’ own words reflected a player struggling to process the cruelty of the timing. “My season has come to an abrupt end, and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense. All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team, and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me, along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer, just gone.”
The loss of the World Cup adds a dimension to this injury that goes beyond Tottenham’s relegation battle. Simons is one of the most exciting young midfielders in world football, and a summer tournament on the biggest stage would have represented a defining platform for a player who has spent much of this season operating in the shadow of a club in crisis. That opportunity has now been taken from him entirely.
We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks… pic.twitter.com/FUEf5VrZnx
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 27, 2026
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For Tottenham, the football consequences are severe enough. Simons had created 34 chances across 28 Premier League appearances this season, completing 28 successful dribbles and winning 118 duels in a squad chronically short of individual quality. His absence for the final four fixtures against Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea, and Everton leaves De Zerbi with a creative void that cannot realistically be filled by what remains available.
The messages from Gravenberch, Zirkzee, and Rodrygo reflect how highly Simons is regarded beyond north London. At Tottenham right now, that regard offers little practical comfort, but it is a reminder that the player fighting for this club’s survival is one the wider football world considers genuinely special.