There are ways you hope a World Cup ends. A penalty shootout heartbreak, a narrow defeat to a tournament favourite, maybe even a glorious run that goes one match too far. Not this. Not slipping over a advertising board in the middle of a celebration and landing so badly you need a stretcher and oxygen to leave the pitch.

Jordan Henderson's World Cup is over. Surgery beckons. And for a player who has given so much to both club and country across a career of genuine distinction, it is an absolutely gutting way for it all to unravel.

The injury occurred in the most cruel of circumstances. England had just produced one of their most dramatic nights in recent memory, battling back to beat Mexico 3-2 at the iconic Azteca Stadium in the early hours of Monday morning. It was the sort of night that gets talked about for years — the kind that deserves to be celebrated properly. Thomas Tuchel's side had even spent over 40 minutes down to ten men after Jarell Quansah was sent off, yet somehow held on through an extraordinary eleven minutes of stoppage time to book their place in the quarter-finals.

The supporters inside the Azteca were in full voice. The players were soaking it all up. And then, in a split second, Henderson slipped attempting to jump over an advertising board on the touchline and came down awkwardly on his wrist. What should have been a moment of pure joy turned into something altogether more distressing.

Newcastle United's Dan Burn was quickly on hand to help, and the medical staff were attending to him almost immediately. But the seriousness of the situation became clear when Henderson required a stretcher and oxygen to be taken from the pitch. It was a scene nobody wanted to see, particularly on a night England had every right to enjoy.

Tuchel did not hide from it in his post-match press conference. The German spoke candidly about what he had witnessed, and you could hear the genuine sadness in his words.

"It's not good, not good, Jordan just fell over and injured his wrist, it looks really bad," he said. "He injured his wrist, he's gone to hospital it's quite a serious injury. It doesn't fit with the night. I don't know if there will be a procedure. I'm sad because Jordan injured his wrist."

By the time those words were being processed, the news had already filtered through that surgery will indeed be required, and that Henderson's World Cup campaign has come to an end. A procedure to correct the issue means there is simply no way back for him at this tournament.

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, who had scored the first two goals of the evening to set England on their way, was understandably guarded when asked about his teammate's condition, but acknowledged the concern in the camp.

"He is in a bit of bother, but our medical team have everything under control," Bellingham said. "I'm not best to give too much detail as I do not know much going on, but everyone was there to support him."

For those of us who watched Henderson lift the Premier League trophy, the Champions League, and everything in between during his time at Anfield, there is a particular kind of hurt attached to seeing him suffer like this. He is a Brentford player now, a long way removed from those Anfield days, but the affection runs deep regardless. The lad has always given everything, and this is a desperately unfair reward for a player who had been contributing to England's campaign.

It also puts a complicated frame around what was otherwise a landmark result for the Three Lions. Beating Mexico at the Azteca, with ten men, in a pulsating contest that swung one way and then the other — that is the stuff of football folklore. England now march on to a quarter-final against Norway with a genuine belief that this could be their tournament.

But tonight, spare a thought for Henderson. He will watch those quarter-final and semi-final matches from the stands or from a hospital bed, knowing that a single misstep during a moment of joy ended his World Cup before he even had the chance to face Norway.

England go again. For Henderson though, the recovery starts now — and knowing him, he will approach it with exactly the same determination he has brought to every challenge throughout his career.