Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala is facing another extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining a serious ankle injury during his team’s 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
The 22-year-old Germany international had only just returned to the starting XI for the first time in months, having recently recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the final stretch of Bayern’s Bundesliga campaign.
Late in the first half at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Musiala chased down a wayward pass from teammate Michael Olise near the byline, only to be caught heavily by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The midfielder immediately screamed in pain, clutching his left ankle, while nearby players, visibly shaken — including a distraught Donnarumma — turned away as Bayern’s medical team rushed to his aid.
“He’s been taken to hospital,” Bayern manager Vincent Kompany told DAZN. “It didn’t look good. Right now, we’re just hoping it’s not as serious as it appeared and that he pulls through this one.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry at half-time — not at the players, but just the situation. For someone like Jamal, football is everything. He lives for it. And to see this happen to him, a player so central to our team, makes my blood boil.”
Musiala’s injury clearly had an emotional impact on his teammates, with German football journalist Raphael Honigstein noting the side looked rattled after the break. “It took them a while to regain composure. He’s absolutely vital to this Bayern team. It’s a massive blow for both him and the club,” he said.
Despite missing 11 games through injury this season, Musiala remained one of Bayern’s most productive players in 2024–25, registering 21 goals and eight assists in 44 matches across all competitions.
Bayern had recently announced that Musiala would inherit the club’s legendary number 10 shirt from the outgoing Leroy Sané next season — a symbolic passing of the torch, placing him alongside club icons such as Lothar Matthäus, Arjen Robben, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Musiala had come off the bench to score a hat-trick in Bayern’s 10-0 demolition of Auckland City in their group opener, and was hoping to build on that momentum against PSG — only for his night, and possibly his season, to be cruelly cut short.
PSG players were quick to send their support. Right-back Achraf Hakimi said, “It’s important to talk about Jamal. All of us wish him a speedy recovery. We hope to see him back soon.”
Ousmane Dembélé, who scored PSG’s second goal following Desire Doué’s opener, echoed the sentiment: “Shout out to Jamal Musiala. It’s never easy seeing something like that on the pitch.”
PSG manager Luis Enrique also began his post-match press conference by offering his sympathies: “It was a hard-fought game, but Jamal was unlucky. We all hope he recovers quickly.”
Musiala’s injury casts a long shadow over Bayern’s Club World Cup campaign and poses serious questions about their creative midfield options as they look ahead to the new Bundesliga season.
