Jamal Musiala’s injury during the Club World Cup quarterfinal clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich sparked not only concern over its severity but also a heated debate between goalkeepers. German keeper Manuel Neuer did not hesitate to criticize Gianluigi Donnarumma for the challenge that left Musiala with a serious ankle injury.

“You accept the opponent's injury”: Neuer’s reproach to Donnarumma

Clearly frustrated after the 2–0 defeat to PSG, Neuer spoke to the media to express his discontent:

“With Jamal, it was a situation where a certain level of risk was taken, which in my opinion was unnecessary. It was an avoidable challenge. And now he’s in the hospital with a serious injury.”

The Bayern captain even revealed that he directly confronted Donnarumma about his reaction following the incident:

“I told him, ‘Aren’t you going to check on him now that the first half has ended? Jamal is lying there, likely on his way to the hospital. The least you can do is go, show some respect, and apologize.’ In the end, he did go to see him.”

The image of Musiala on the ground raised immediate concern, and it was later confirmed that the 22-year-old midfielder had suffered a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle. He will require surgery and is expected to be out for four to six months.

Courtois responds: “You can’t blame Donnarumma like that”

Following Neuer’s comments, another world-class goalkeeper weighed in. Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s shot-stopper and PSG’s next opponent in the semifinals, came to Donnarumma’s defense.

“Blaming Donnarumma seems excessive to me. We, as goalkeepers, go for the ball—just like strikers go in on us without thinking if they might hit us in the face,” Courtois said after Madrid’s win over Borussia Dortmund.

The Belgian expressed sympathy over the incident but classified it as bad luck:

“It’s very unfortunate. Donnarumma goes for the ball, and as Musiala turns, his foot gets caught. I don’t think that kind of play can be avoided.”

The incident has reignited the debate around how aggressive goalkeepers should be in contested plays. Meanwhile, football will be without one of its brightest young stars for several months.