INJURY PHOTOS FROM THE WORLD CUP

GERMANY'S BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER.

Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger reacts as blood flows down

his face after he was fouled during their 2014 World Cup final against

Argentina at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro July 13, 2014.

NETHERLANDS' DIRK KUYT

Dirk Kuyt of the Netherlands bleeds from the head after a

collision during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Third Place

Playoff match between Brazil and the Netherlands at

Estadio Nacional on July 12, 2014 in Brasilia, Brazil.

 BRAZIL'S NEYMAR.

Neymar was kneed in the back by Juan Camilo Zuniga of

Colombia during the Quarter Final match between Brazil and

Colombia on July 4, 2014. He was stretchered off the field and

immediately taken to a local hospital where he was

diagnosed with a fractured vertebra.

GERMANY'S THOMAS MUELLER.

After contesting a header with Ghana's John Boye and taking a

shoulder to the face, German midfielder Thomas Mueller was left

with a bloody cut above his eye and required five stitches.

GHANA'S JOHN BOYE.

As this picture painfully shows, Team USA star Clint Dempsey

took a high kick straight to the face during the U.S. vs. Ghana

matchup on June 16, 2014. Dempsey was left with a

bloody and broken nose.

SWITZERLAND'S STEVE VON BERGEN.

Swiss player Steve von Bergen sustained a broken facial bone

after being kicked in the face by France's Olivier Giroud during

the group E match on June 20, 2014.

NETHERLANDS' MARTINS INDI.

Netherlands defender Bruno Martins Indi suffered a concussion 

after being fouled by Australia's Tim Cahill and landing hard.

Martins Indi spent a night in hospital and missed the next game

against Chile, but returned to training a few days later.

ECUADOR'S CRISTHIAN NOBOA.

Ecuador's Cristhian Noboa not only suffered a head injury by

going up for a header against France's Blaise Matuidi, he then

had to endure wearing this bizarre hairnet to keep his bloody

bandage in place. 

UNITED STATES' JOZY ALTIDORE.

U.S. fans grimaced almost as much as Jozy Altidore when the

star forward pulled up with a hamstring injury in just the 20th

minute of their World Cup opener against Ghana. It was 

confirmed as a strained left hamstring and Altidore was

forced to miss the next two U.S. games. 

NIGERIA'S MICHAEL BABATUNDE.

Talk about an unintentional hand ball.

Nigeria's Michael Babatunde sustained a broken wrist after

his teammate Ogenyi Onazi belted a shot against the

Argentinian goal and it hit Babatunde's arm. Onazi later joked,

"I swear that was a sure goal if not for (his) hand." 

ALGERIA'S SOFIANE FEGHOULI.

Algeria's Sofiane Feghouli took a nasty knock to the head

during the group H match between Algeria and Russia on

June 26, 2014. The Algerian trainer bandaged Feghouli's wound

on the sideline and he returned to the game.

ARGENTINA'S PABLO ZABALETA.

Argentina's Pablo Zabaleta grimaces after sustaining an

injury following a collision with Dirk Kuyt of the Netherlands

(unseen) during extra time in their 2014 World Cup semi-finals

at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo July 9, 2014.

UNITED STATES' ALEJANDRO BEDOYA AND

JERMAINE JONES.

U.S. players Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya decided

to put their heads together during a difficult match against

Germany on June 26, 2014.  The clash left Jones with

a suspected broken nose and Bedoya with a nasty headache.

Bedoya later said: "It was just a weird collision ...

I didn't see him actually ... My head hit his nose so I am

not surprised it is broken."

PORTUGAL'S FABIO COENTRAO.

Portugal's Fabio Coentrao pulled up suddenly during the

Group G match against Germany on June 16, 2014.

Coentrao was diagnosed with a "second grade tear of the

adductor longus muscle in the right thigh" and was 

ruled out of further World Cup play.

ENGLAND TRAINER GARY LEWIN.

Perhaps the weirdest injury of the entire World Cup,

England trainer Gary Lewin managed to dislocate his ankle by

jumping up to celebrate a goal against Italy and coming down

awkwardly on a water bottle. 

ITALY'S GIORGIO CHIELLINI.

Yes, those are Luis Suarez's bite marks on the shoulder of

Giorgio Chiellini. Uruguay's Suarez inexplicably sank his teeth

into the Italian defender during their Group D match on June 24, 2014.

After an investigation, FIFA announced that Suarez would

be banned for nine matches.