Swiss teen Beney out of FIFA Women’s World Cup with ACL tear

The 16-year-old, who plays for BSC Young Boys in Bern, tore her anterior cruciate ligament in training before Switzerland was set to play Morocco in a friendly on Wednesday.

Switzerland players Seereina Piubel (left) and Iman Beney celebrate during the match against Zambia at the Tissot Arena in Biel, Switzerland, on June 30, 2023.  | Photo Credit: AP

Swiss midfielder Iman Beney will miss the Women’s World Cup kicking off later this month after sustaining a serious knee injury in training, the country’s national team said on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old, who plays for BSC Young Boys in Bern, tore her anterior cruciate ligament in training before Switzerland was set to play Morocco in a friendly on Wednesday.

Beney is the latest player to be ruled out of the tournament with an ACL injury. Others include Janine Beckie of Canada, France’s Delphine Cascarino and Vivianne Miedema of the Netherlands.

Switzerland has called up Amira Arfaoui of Bayer Leverkusen to replace Beney.

Switzerland will open its Group A campaign against the Philippines on July 21 before taking on Norway and co-hosts New Zealand.

Switzerland may fancy its chances as it is the second-highest-ranked side in the group, only behind 12th-placed Norway. The Philippines and New Zealand are both outside the top 20.