Cristiano Ronaldo sends emotional message to Kvaratskhelia after PSG winger’s ACL injury

Cristiano Ronaldo has reached out to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after the PSG winger suffered a season-ending injury. The Al Nassr star sent a message of support to Kvaratskhelia, who tore his ACL in PSG’s 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona.

The Portuguese star left a heartfelt message of encouragement for the Georgian in a comment on the post in which the PSG player announced his diagnosis after the injury against Barcelona.

“The hardest battles in football are often ones nobody sees,” Cristiano wrote. “I know that feeling, Kvara. But never forget what brought you this far, and don’t let a difficult moment make you doubt how far you can go. Keep that fire on. Your best is still to come”.

The words carry extra weight because of who they come from. Kvaratskhelia has made it clear on several occasions that Ronaldo is his childhood idol. The two shared a moment at Euro 2024, when Georgia beat Portugal 2-0 and Kvaratskhelia swapped shirts with his hero. Now, at the lowest point of his career, that same idol has told him that his best is still to come.

When could Kvaratskhelia return?

PSG have not put a timeline on Kvaratskhelia’s recovery, and the club only confirmed that he will undergo surgery in the coming days. A rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament typically keeps players out for around nine months, and projections suggest that a return could come around July 2027. That would likely rule him out for the rest of the 2026-27 season, including the decisive stretch of the Champions League and Ligue 1.

The injury is a major setback for a player who had played 11 times for PSG this season and was making his first start of the campaign in the Champions League when he went down.

Apart from the Georgian, PSG also suffered injuries to Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos in the match against Barcelona. The forward sustained a left thigh injury while the defender picked up a right thigh injury, and both join Nuno Mendes on the French side’s injury list.

With Kvaratskhelia out for a long spell and three more key players sidelined, PSG will have to lean on their depth as they try to defend their Champions League crown.