The 24-year-old midfielder is expected to miss a significant part, if not all, of next season after tearing his ACL when he stretched awkwardly during Belgium's round-of-16 victory over the USA. On Saturday afternoon, Onana took to Instagram to post an emotional and deeply personal message to Belgium and Aston Villa supporters.
"Dear world…. It's very difficult to tell you how I feel, so I'm just going to keep it real because if I don't then what's the point of me writing to you," he wrote. "From the second I hit the floor my whole world collapsed, I knew something really bad had happened.
"My first thoughts were…why me? Why now? Why did I deserve this? I was angry at the world, not knowing what to expect but also sad because I wouldn't be able to do what I love the most for a very long time…
"Waking up the next day I was hoping that it would all be a dream but I realized pretty quickly that I had torn my ACL….
"Day 2 was probably the toughest, I kept replaying the scene in my head, thinking of what I could've done better to avoid it. Staring at my swollen knee and needing assistance for everything was just devastating…
"Day 3 is when it all sank in, my faith took over And I thought WHY NOT ME? I'm no better than anyone else this injury happened to, it's just a part of the sport.
"Today I feel grateful because I'm in a very privileged position, ALLAH has blessed me with an amazing family and numerous people around me to help me through this journey.
"I am more confident than ever in the fact that this experience will make me grow as an athlete, a human being, a father, a husband and many other ways.
"I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and this is what ALLAH planned for me. Whatever is meant for me will never miss me and whatever misses me was never meant for me. We don't run we endure and conquer, Mamba.
"I would like to thank my teammates at @belgianredevils for the support, the love everyone at @astonvilla showed me and all of your messages, it means the world to me. I'll be back InshaAllah. Love, 24."
Onana's injury is a significant blow both for club and country. He had established himself as a key figure in Aston Villa's midfield since his move from Everton, while his performances for Belgium had made him an important part of Rudi Garcia's plans, forming a double pivot alongside Youri Tielemans that underpinned the Red Devils' run to the quarter-finals before their eventual exit to Spain.
His recovery timeline means he is likely to be sidelined for the majority, if not the entirety, of Aston Villa's 2026-27 campaign, leaving the club needing to find a way to cover his absence in the middle of the park.