Christian Pulisic‘s limping exit during the USMNT‘s 4-1 defeat to Belgium added another layer of concern to an already painful evening for the last host nation standing in the 2026 World Cup. Now eliminated in the Round of 16, head coach Mauricio Pochettino offered a preliminary update on his star player’s condition.
As reported by The Athletic‘s Tom Bogert, Pochettino said at his post-match press conference that he believes Pulisic twisted his ankle after his failed shot attempt in the second half. Medical tests are still to follow to determine the full extent of the injury and whether it will pose a problem heading into the 2026-27 club season.
With the USMNT trailing 2-1 at Seattle Stadium, Pulisic was one of the more dangerous American players looking to spark a comeback, but was unable to create a decisive chance. In the 52nd minute, he got into a shooting position from the edge of the box, only for Youri Tielemans to get a foot in and snuff out the opportunity at the last moment.
Play was halted shortly after as Pulisic remained on the ground, having made contact with Tielemans’ foot as he attempted the shot. The stoppage did little to halt Belgium’s momentum, with Matt Freese spilling the ball moments later to allow Hans Vanaken to extend the lead to 3-1.
Unable to continue, Pulisic was substituted off in the 59th minute for Sebastian Berhalter, taking his place on the bench visibly emotional and unable to impact the game in front of the home supporters. Pochettino expressed hope that the injury is not serious and that his captain will be fit to return to AC Milan for the start of preseason preparations.
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With Ruben Amorim now at the helm in Milan, the club is building toward a new project under fresh leadership. A preseason tour of Scotland is scheduled for late July, with a friendly against Celtic in Glasgow on the 25th among the first fixtures planned, and the hope is that Pulisic will be fully recovered well before then.
Pochettino on USMNT’s elimination: ‘It wasn’t our day’
The USMNT had shown real promise throughout the tournament, and Pochettino’s project appeared to be gaining momentum following the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, only for Belgium to bring it to an abrupt end. Costly individual errors compounded the damage and ultimately sealed the fate of the last co-host still standing in the competition.
With his contract situation still unresolved, Pochettino was candid and took personal responsibility at his post-match press conference: “I congratulate Belgium. They were better than us. That is not to find excuses, because we didn’t show what this team normally can show. We need to assess this game and we need to see why we didn’t approach it in the same way as the rest of the World Cup. Maybe the explanation is easy: it wasn’t our day, collectively or individually. Of course, the person with the most responsibility is myself. And yes, we need to see and check what we did, because it wasn’t the performance or the way that we normally play.“
