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Galaxy playmaker Riqui Puig will miss the MLS Cup final and the start of the 2025 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Saturday’s 1-0 Western Conference semifinal win over the Seattle Sounders, the club announced Sunday.
There was no official timeline for Puig’s return, but recovery from a ruptured ACL can take between six and 12 months. He is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days.
Puig, who had the assist on Dejan Joveljic’s game-winning goal in the 85th minute, continued playing for 30 minutes after sustaining the injury. Before limping off to the locker room in tears after the final whistle, he gestured to his parents to come out of the stands and join him on the field, where they wrapped their arms around him and tried to try console him. Galaxy coach Greg Vanney was also seen embracing and comforting Puig, who was then wearing a towel over his head.
Puig was not made available to the media after the match.
Read more: Dejan Joveljic’s late goal clinches Galaxy win over Sounders, spot in MLS Cup final
Puig, 25, had career highs for goals (13) and assists (15) during the regular season, then added four more goals and three assists in four playoff games. The former Barcelona product, in his third season in MLS, is the unquestioned catalyst of the Galaxy’s high-octane offense.
With Puig as their quarterback, the Galaxy became the first team in MLS history to have four players — Puig, Joveljic, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec — score 10 or more goals in the same season. Three of the four also finished with double-digit assists for the Galaxy, who matched the franchise’s modern-era record for goals with 69.
Puig, who is guaranteed $4.64 million this year, signed a contract extension in May that runs through the 2027 season.
Saturday’s MLS Cup final with the New York Red Bulls will mark the Galaxy’s first appearance in the league championship game since 2014. The Galaxy have won a league-record five MLS Cups.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.