Frenkie de Jong addressed his injury and responded to rumors suggesting a rift between him and Barcelona.
Frenkie de Jong has broken his silence after weeks of speculation surrounding his recovery from a knee injury and his standing at Barcelona. The Dutch midfielder returned from the World Cup with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, an issue that could keep him sidelined for around four months.
“Normally, I don’t pay much attention to what is written about me, but recently there has been a lot of speculation about my injury and my situation at Barcelona… During the World Cup, I got injured on my knee. After the first assessments, the doctors told me it was a small injury and that it wouldn’t get worse if I continued playing,” De Jong began in a post on his Instagram account.
The injury reportedly worsened during the Netherlands’ Round of 32 match against Morocco, where De Jong played through 110 minutes despite already carrying the problem, having received pain-blocking injections to remain available for his country during the tournament.
De Jong explained that once he returned to Barcelona, further examinations revealed the injury was more serious than initially believed, though surgery isn’t required for his recovery.
🚨🇳🇱 Frenkie de Jong statement. 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/XC3RP3XzpI— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 23, 2026
“In my holiday, I returned to Barcelona for further examinations. These showed that the injury was more serious than initially determined. Thankfully, at this stage there is no need for surgery, and I am now fully focused on my recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible,” he added.
De Jong reaffirms his commitment to Barcelona
In the aftermath, reports emerged suggesting Barcelona felt misled by the Dutch federation over the true severity of the issue, while also pointing to friction between De Jong and coach Hansi Flick over how the situation was handled. That combination of a serious injury and swirling institutional tension fueled speculation about De Jong’s short-term future at the club.
De Jong, however, made clear that he remains fully committed to both Barcelona and the Netherlands national team, brushing aside any suggestion of a rift with the club.
“Playing for Barca and Oranje is something I feel incredibly proud of, and my commitment to both will never change. I will continue to give everything for this badge, for my teammates and for our fans. There are still many moments to create and goals we want to achieve together. Thank you for all your support. I can’t wait to be back. Visca Barca Sempre,” De Jong concluded.