Mohammed Kudus had dreamed of shining on the biggest stage, and in October 2020, he got his chance. Just months after joining Ajax from FC Nordsjaelland, the Ghanaian midfielder stepped onto the pitch at the iconic Johan Cruyff Arena for his Champions League debut against Liverpool. It was supposed to be a night to remember—but not in the way he had hoped.

Barely ten minutes into the game, disaster struck. Kudus suffered a torn meniscus, an injury that sidelined him for over three months. What was meant to be a defining moment in his young career turned into his biggest setback.

“I had just joined Ajax, and I was playing well. It was my debut in the Champions League against Liverpool, then boom—I tore my meniscus,” Kudus shared in an interview with Rising Ballers. “I was out for 3-4 months. It was tough because I had been working towards that moment my whole life.”

But Kudus is not one to dwell on misfortune. He put in the hard work, endured the rehab, and fought his way back onto the pitch. Seasons later, fate gave him another shot at Liverpool—this time, at Anfield. With confidence and hunger, he seized the moment, scoring against the very team that had witnessed his heartbreak.

“When I returned, I played in the Champions League again and faced Liverpool. This time, I scored. It brought back memories of all the hard work paying off,” he recalled.

Kudus went on to make 87 appearances for Ajax, scoring 27 goals and providing 12 assists before making the leap to the Premier League with West Ham United. His story is one of resilience—a reminder that setbacks are just setups for comebacks.