Coach Mauricio Pochettino Updates Christian Pulisic Situation

American striker Christian Pulisic's run at the 2026 World Cup has come to a frustrating end. During the decisive match against Belgium, which resulted in the elimination of the United States, Pulisic was forced to watch from the bench due to an ankle injury. He was recovering from physical problems that accompanied him throughout the tournament, which hampered his performance and limitations on the field. Pulisic, who is considered one of the main players of the US national team, failed to score a goal in his second World Cup. Although he has scored a total of 33 goals in 90 appearances for the national team, his only achievement in tournament games was against Iran during the group stage in 2022. The match against Belgium was a clear example of his difficulties, where he left the field in the second half after twisting his ankle while attempting a shot, colliding with the foot of Belgian captain Youri Tielemans in the 52nd minute.  After a few minutes on the pitch, Pulisic began to limp and was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter in the 59th minute, with the United States trailing 3–1. In a later interview, he expressed his disappointment: "It was difficult for me to deal with. I felt really good during the summer with the boys and I thought my level was high. It's disappointing that I didn't get the moments I was hoping for and help the team get to that next step against a really good team." US national team coach Mauricio Pochettino was optimistic after the match, hoping that Pulisic's injury was not serious and that he could reintegrate with his club, AC Milan. In general, players have a period of 21 days off after the end of the tournament, before returning to their clubs. Pulisic had already suffered a calf injury during the group stage, which made him miss the chance to shine in other games. He was left out of the USA's victory over Australia and, even when he returned, he came on as a substitute in the defeat to Türkiye. Despite the challenges, Pulisic maintained a positive attitude, stating: "I did a lot of good things and the team did too." Alex Freeman, defender of the national team, also commented, "He will recover. He is a great player and will always fight." --- ## Related Articles 1. [Controversy Surrounds Argentina's Dramatic Comeback Against Egypt](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/controversy-surrounds-argentina-s-dramatic-comeback-against-egypt) 2. [Neymar's Bitter World Cup Exit as Brazil Falls to Norway](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/neymar-s-bitter-world-cup-exit-as-brazil-falls-to-norway)

Read more on our latest coverage and stay tuned for updates on what happens next.