Galaxy star Riqui Puig may miss second season after knee surgery

The Galaxy could be without Riqui Puig for a second straight season, with the team confirming on Friday that the midfielder will undergo a second surgery on Saturday to repair the torn ACL that caused him to miss all of 2025.

Puig, 26, tore a ligament in his left knee during the 2024 MLS Western Conference Final with Seattle. A week later, the Galaxy won their sixth league title. But playing without Puig in 2025, the team had the worst season in franchise history, winning just seven games.

Puig, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, returned to training with the Galaxy in the fall. But the Galaxy said he had a setback in his recovery after returning to Spain for the holidays. After consulting with the club’s medical staff and outside specialists, the Galaxy and Puig agreed on a second operation.

The timeline for Puig’s return will only be determined after surgery, but losing him for a while will be another blow to the team since last year’s performance proved that Puig is the Galaxy’s most irreplaceable player.

Puig reached career highs in goals (13) and assists (15) in 2024, when he also led the league in touches and assists, helping the Galaxy set an MLS record with four players scoring 10 or more times. Without him, the team’s possession-based attack suffered, scoring 23 fewer goals and seeing just one player, winger Joseph Paintsil, reach double the number of goals.

The Galaxy did not place Puig on season-ending injured reserve last season, hoping he would return at some point. If doctors determine he is unlikely to play this season, the team is unlikely to make the same mistake, as sidelining Puig would open up a designated playing spot. Puig, who made $5.78 million last season, the eighth-largest contract in MLS, is signed through 2027.

Prior to Puig’s announcement, the Galaxy had a productive offseason, acquiring former MLS Defender of the Year Jakob Glesnes in a trade with the Philadelphia Union and signing defender Justin Haak to a free agent contract.