What Does Mahomes's Injury Have to Do With the 2026 World Cup?
The NFL superstar tears ligaments, signs a record-breaking contract — and American football enters the conversation around the world's biggest soccer party
Patrick Mahomes tore the ligaments in his left knee in December, underwent surgery, and three months later was already throwing passes on the move — a recovery that stunned the American football world. The news came alongside the most expensive contract extension in NFL history: $504.75 million guaranteed with the Kansas City Chiefs through 2033, potentially rising to $522.25 million depending on incentives, according to journalists Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
What does any of this have to do with the World Cup? Quite a lot. The NFL has been expanding its presence in Brazil, and the 2026–27 season kicks off in September — right in the post-World Cup window. With Mahomes as the league's most prominent ambassador and the tournament taking place on North American soil, the sporting calendar that year puts the NFL and the World Cup on a direct collision course for the attention of Brazilian fans. The quarterback's availability for the start of the season, if his recovery pace holds, is a central piece in that battle for eyeballs.
On the soccer side, Golmetria's model places Brazil as the favorite in Group C, with a 51.94% chance of finishing top of the group and a 91.22% probability of advancing to the Round of 16. The United States, hosts of the tournament in Group D, have a 55.67% chance of qualifying — a scenario that puts the home side under considerable pressure in front of their own fans. The market gives Brazil an 8.67% chance of lifting the trophy, while the Americans come in at 1.35%.
What to watch: if Mahomes is on the field in September 2026, the ratings battle between the NFL and the World Cup knockout rounds promises to be one of the most compelling storylines in global sport that year.