Pulisic played 45 minutes then missed most of World Cup with injury

Christian Pulisic started the opening match against Paraguay and played 45 minutes before an injury limited his participation for the remainder of the 2026 World Cup. He returned for a group-stage appearance against Türkiye and started against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Belgium. In the Belgium match he lost the ball 14 times.

Performance details Pulisic did not play again in the group stage after the Paraguay match until the Türkiye game, which had no bearing on advancement. The Bosnia-Herzegovina match produced no standout moments. The Belgium defeat ended the U.S. team's tournament.

Injury status Pulisic has a microfracture and will miss several weeks, according to a report published 21 hours before this article. Former teammates and analysts have commented on his comments about rest after elimination and on the role of his inner circle.