St. Gallen standout Lawrence Ati-Zigi discusses his devastating World Cup injury.

Black Stars goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi has characterized the injury he sustained during Ghana's inaugural match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the most challenging experiences of the tournament. The St. Gallen goalkeeper had to exit the field during Ghana's 1-0 win over Panama due to the injury, cutting short what had been another confident display in goal. "It was a disappointing moment when I got injured against Panama, and I didn’t want to take any chances. I had to come off," Ati-Zigi shared with Sporty FM. The injury kept him from participating in Ghana's subsequent group fixtures against England and Croatia, with Benjamin Asare stepping in as the Black Stars advanced to the Round of 32. Ati-Zigi eventually made his return for the knockout match against Colombia after Asare also suffered an injury. Despite Ghana's 1-0 loss and subsequent elimination from the tournament, the 29-year-old put forth an exceptional performance, making numerous remarkable saves and receiving accolades as the Black Stars' standout player that evening. Currently, Ati-Zigi is enjoying his off-season in Ghana but is anticipated to head back to Switzerland soon as St. Gallen prepares for their UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign. The Swiss team is set to face Benfica in the first leg of the second qualifying round on July 23. Ati-Zigi is under contract with the Swiss club until June 2027 and aims to build on a successful year for both club and country.