Christian Pulisic took to Instagram to address the USMNT’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup, sending a heartfelt message to fans days after the team’s 4-1 Round of 16 loss to Belgium.
The forward began by thanking supporters, while also acknowledging that the tournament’s ending wasn’t good enough on his part. “Tough to find the words. I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who believed. The support carried us all the way through. It simply wasn’t good enough from us in the end and I wanted to deliver so much more,” Pulisic began.
The AC Milan forward closed his message by noting that this is only the beginning of growth for this team and for the sport in the country. “I still feel blessed to be a part of this team. The memories this summer will last a lifetime. It’s just the start for us and for this sport in America,” Pulisic wrote.
While the USMNT were thrashed by Belgium in the Round of 16, the team came within one match of matching their best-ever finish, when they reached the quarterfinals at the 2002 edition in South Korea-Japan before falling to Germany.
Pulisic faces intense criticism
Despite the heartfelt message to fans, Pulisic is facing the harshest criticism of anyone right now. The forward was forced off in the 59th minute of the loss to Belgium after twisting his ankle, but what upset fans was what he said after the match.
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“It’s just frustrating to end like that, of course. But now I have time to rest. I feel it’ll be OK,” Pulisic said on Fox, referring to his recovery. The 27-year-old was criticized by Landon Donovan, along with former U.S. women’s national team players Carli Lloyd and Sydney Leroux.
“He rested the entire World Cup,” Leroux wrote on her X (formerly Twitter) account, while Lloyd also piled on, writing, “You rest when your playing career is over. Period.”
