Christian Pulisic sustained a microfracture along with a bone bruise in his leg during the United States’ 4-1 defeat against Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16. This information was confirmed by US Soccer.
The injury occurred in the second half of the match held in Seattle, prompting his immediate substitution. Subsequently, he underwent X-ray and MRI examinations on Tuesday to assess the severity of the injury, which is anticipated to sideline him for several weeks. US Soccer indicated that both the federation and AC Milan are collaborating on his rehabilitation plan.
Following the team’s disappointing World Cup exit, some analysts focused on Pulisic’s remarks made to reporters after the game about his injury. When questioned about the incident, Pulisic stated,
“I just totally twisted my ankle and my knee in one play … I have time to rest. It’s just unfortunate way to finish.”
Carli Lloyd, former star of the US women’s national team and current Fox analyst, tweeted the day after the match,
“You rest when your playing career is over. Period.”
Landon Donovan, the former US men’s national team captain, shared his thoughts on his Unfiltered Soccer podcast, stating,
“the reality is, [Pulisic] came out of a World Cup knockout game at home, with his leg still intact … you would have had to fucking drag me off the field. And I would have punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field. Put whatever you need to put in me, and I’m staying on the field.’”
Pulisic’s injury-related troubles were a significant disappointment during the US’s World Cup journey. The Milan forward showcased his talents during the first 45 minutes of the 4-1 victory over Paraguay but had to exit at halftime due to a left calf issue. This same injury had also caused him to miss the US’s second group match, a 2-0 win against Australia. He later appeared as a substitute in a meaningless 3-2 loss to Turkey and started in the 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, but his impact was limited.
