Henderson smashes forearm in freak fall during England's World Cup celebrations against Mexico

Jordan Henderson fractured his left forearm after falling over advertising hoardings during England’s 3-2 World Cup victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, with his father Brian confirming the injury required surgery and is more serious than initially understood.

Henderson, 36, was an unused substitute for the round-of-16 tie, which England won through a Jude Bellingham double and a Harry Kane penalty to advance to the quarter-finals. The incident occurred during the post-match celebrations with travelling England supporters, and Henderson was stretchered off and given oxygen before being taken to hospital.

While his teammates returned to the squad’s base in Kansas City, Henderson remained in Mexico City to undergo surgery. His father Brian told Mail Online: “It’s his left forearm — he’s just completely smashed it. He’s going to have a cast on and then it depends on what the experts say. He won’t be leaving his team-mates. He’ll be there until it’s finished.”

Brian Henderson, watching from the United Kingdom, said he did not initially grasp the severity of the injury. “At first I just thought he’d fallen. I thought he’d maybe scraped his wrist,” he said. “I had no idea it was that serious until they were interviewing Harry Kane and a trolley came past with Jordan on it. I could see him on there with oxygen and things. Straight away, I messaged his PA, who was over there, to try and find out what had happened. I was up all night waiting to hear the news.”

Newcastle United defender Dan Burn was among the first England players to reach Henderson after the fall. Brian Henderson also confirmed that a surgeon with experience treating NFL athletes had been lined up to perform the operation.

Henderson himself spoke publicly about the incident for the first time on Tuesday, after video footage of the fall circulated widely online and was viewed by millions. England face Norway on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals, and Henderson is expected to remain with the squad throughout their run in the tournament.