Why isn’t Christian Pulisic starting for the USMNT against Turkiye at the 2026 World Cup?

Christian Pulisic has anchored his role as one of the most vital players for the USMNT during their impressive run at the 2026 World Cup. However, for this final group-stage matchup against Turkiye at SoFi Stadium, the AC Milan forward has been left on the substitute bench.

Pulisic will begin the game on the bench due to a tactical decision by head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The star forward has fully recovered from a recent calf injury, but the Argentine manager has opted to manage his workload carefully by utilizing him as a potential super-sub instead of risking him from the kickoff.

Pulisic initially suffered the calf strain during the tournament opener against Paraguay, an injury that forced him to sit out the subsequent Matchday 2 victory over Australia. Ahead of the Turkiye match, the winger told reporters that he is now completely pain-free, providing a massive boost for the USMNT as they prepare for the Round of 32.

Apart from Pulisic, Pochettino has opted to heavily rotate his starting lineup to face the Turkish side. The starting frontline will be composed of Brenden Aaronson, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah, and Ricardo Pepi, while big names like Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, and Sergino Dest have been rested on the bench alongside the captain.

Pulisic likely to see minutes in the second half

The USMNT enters this final group game having already secured qualification and locked up the top spot in Group D, making this match a prime opportunity for depth players to log valuable World Cup minutes. In Pulisic’s case, the match serves as a low-stakes chance to regain game rhythm before the single-elimination knockout stage begins.

When asked about Pulisic’s specific role for today’s match, Pochettino made his plan clear during Wednesday’s press conference. “Pulisic is available, and then we need to decide if it’s possible to play (him) from the beginning or be on the bench, and have the possibility maybe to play in the second half. That is the situation,” the Argentine boss stated.