Christopher Baumgartner: This has been the toughest day of my career, and I will do everything I can to get back on the court as soon as possible.

After being confirmed to miss the upcoming World Cup, Christoph Baumgartner expressed his feelings publicly for the first time. During a warm-up match before the friendly against Tunisia, the 26-year-old Austrian midfielder suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right thigh while running. Hours later, tests confirmed that he would miss the 2026 World Cup due to injury. An MRI revealed damage to the muscles in his right thigh.  

This attacking midfielder is in red-hot form this season, contributing 17 goals and 9 assists in the 2025/26 season, making him one of RB Leipzig's top goal contributors. He had already joined the Austrian national team for World Cup preparations and held an important place in Ralf Rangnick's plans, which will be Austria's first appearance at the World Cup in 28 years.  

Christophe Baumgartner wrote on social media: "It is a great pity that my World Cup dream has been shattered, and I still find it hard to accept. This is the most difficult day of my career, and I need time to process this heavy blow."  

During the World Cup qualifying campaign, he played in almost every match, missing only one, and contributed 1 goal and 2 assists in 7 games. The only time head coach Ralf Rangnick rested him was in the team's 10-0 victory over San Marino.  

Ralf Rangnick expressed his deep regret over the injury, saying, "This is very heavy news for Christopher Baumgartner and the whole team. He is an important member of the team and one of the core players. We will fully support his recovery process."  

Despite the severe setback, Christoph Baumgartner has already begun to look to the future. He said, "Once the initial disappointment fades, I will do everything possible to get back on the court as soon as possible and strive to become stronger than before."  

The club later confirmed that Christoph Baumgartner successfully underwent surgery on Wednesday and will unfortunately miss the 2026 World Cup. He will then officially begin his rehabilitation program, with the main recovery work taking place at RB Leipzig, gradually progressing in conjunction with pre-season preparations for the 2026/27 season.  

Image source: Internet/RB Leipzig official website