Soccer player David Beckham has had surgery for an injury to his Achilles tendon. As a result, he has been ruled out of playing in this summer's World Cup.
Beckham, a 34-year-old midfielder who would have played for the English national team, snapped the tendon on his left leg, and underwent surgery today in Finland.  The injury will end his season, and rehabilitation for the wound is expected to take up to six months.  The doctor performing the operation said that training could not begin until June, and it would be at least another month before Beckham could return to playing competitively.  
Despite early speculation that the injury could mark the end of Beckham's 18-year career, a spokesman rejected the claims, saying, "This is not the end of his playing career as has been suggested."  In the same statement, it was said that even if Beckham is unable to play in the World Cup, he will continue to play as a member of an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, during the end of the season.
Beckham sustained the injury near the end of a game on Sunday night, when he suddenly stopped running and limped from the field on his healthy leg before collapsing on the sidelines.  He was treated on the field for about five minutes before being carried off on a stretcher. 

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David Beckham to miss World Cup with injury