U.S. Men’s National Team forward Christian Pulisic has been sidelined for several weeks following a significant injury sustained during the Americans’ 4-1 round-of-16 loss to Belgium, as reported on July 9, 2026, at 1:26 PM EDT. The 27-year-old athlete suffered a bone bruise along with a microfracture to his tibia and fibula, according to an official statement released by the U.S. Soccer Federation on Thursday. Medical professionals confirmed the diagnosis after conducting an X-ray and MRI scan on Tuesday.
The injury occurred during the 52nd minute of Monday’s match when Pulisic collided with Belgium captain Youri Tielemans while attempting a shot on goal. Although he remained on the field for several minutes while visibly hobbling, he was eventually replaced by teammate Sebastian Berhalter in the 59th minute. Officials noted that even if the United States had advanced further in the tournament, Pulisic would have been unable to participate in any subsequent matches.
Pulisic’s performance throughout the World Cup was hampered by physical setbacks; he was forced to miss one of the team’s five matches due to a calf injury and left two other games early. Despite not scoring during this tournament, he holds an international record of 30 goals in 90 appearances. Looking ahead, Pulisic is expected to begin training again before AC Milan’s Serie A season opener against Torino on August 23, marking the start of his fourth season with the club.
The match against Belgium also drew significant attention due to the status of U.S. lead scorer Folarin Balogun. FIFA had previously lifted a red card suspension for Balogun following a direct call from President Trump. While the President defended his decision to contact the league regarding the disciplinary ruling—which typically does not permit appeals—Balogun ultimately did not score during the game against Belgium.
