Now that we’re down to eight teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ajay Mitchell remains invested in the international tournament. Belgium is part of the quarterfinals. It will face Spain on Friday, July 10, to determine who makes the cut for the final four.
Of course, Mitchell is from Belgium. The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen their fair share of NBA players root and attend the FIFA World Cup this summer. From Jalen Williams to Jared McCain to Alex Caruso. With the international tournament being hosted in North America, it’s made for easy trips there.
To preview Belgium’s matchup with Spain, Mitchell was on SportsCenter. At the end of his interview, he also provided an update on his season-ending calf strain that cost him the final four games of OKC’s 2026 Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He sustained the injury in Game 3.
“Good. It’s been great. We’ve been on top of it as soon as we heard the news. Been working on it ever since,” Mitchell said. “We’re close to being back to 100. It’s a great feeling. Just excited to have a great offseason and be ready to start the year off strong.”
Little surprising that Mitchell continues to rehab the calf strain. It’s almost mid-July and he’s still trying to get cleared for action. Goes to show that even if the Thunder had made the 2026 NBA Finals, he likely would’ve missed the entire series against the New York Knicks.
Mitchell enjoyed a breakout season this past year. He averaged 13.6 points and 3.6 assists. The Thunder were able to sweep the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in large part because of his scoring ascension. He helped OKC navigate Jalen Williams’ absence for most of the year.
Ajay Mitchell on his calf strain: “We’re close to it being back to 100.” pic.twitter.com/PbaVwPcZEq
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) July 9, 2026
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Ajay Mitchell gives injury update on calf strain: ‘Close to being back to 100’
