Mauricio Pochettino released the first injury update on Christian Pulisic after the USMNT’s defeat in Belgium
Christian Pulisic‘s coming out limping on time SMNT‘s 4-1 defeat In Belgium added another layer of anxiety to an already painful night for the last host nation standing at 2026 World Cup. Now eliminated in Round 16, head coach Mauricio Pochettino gave the first update on the status of his star player.
As reported by AthleticTom Bogert, Pochettino said in a press conference after the game that he believed Pulisic twisted his ankle after his shot attempts failed in the second half. A medical is still to come to determine the full extent of the injury and whether it will cause a problem heading into the club’s 2026-27 season.
With SMNT after 2-1 at the Seattle Stadium, Pulisic was one of the most dangerous American players who wanted to wake up, but he could not create an important opportunity. In the 52nd minute, he got in a shot from the edge of the box, only for Youri Tielemans to find a foot and close the chance in the last minute.
Play was stopped shortly after as Pulisic sat down, He made contact with Tielemans’ foot when he tried to shoot. The stoppage did nothing to halt Belgium’s momentum, with Matt Freese spilling the ball late on to allow Hans Vanaken to extend the lead to 3-1.
It can’t go on, Pulisic was substituted in the 59th minute for Sebastian Berhaltertaking his place on the bench looking emotional and unable to influence the game in front of the home fans. Pochettino expressed his hope that the injury is not too serious and that his captain will be ready to return to AC Milan to start preparations for the season.
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With Ruben Amorim now at the helm of Milan, the club is heading for a new project under new leadership. The pre-season tour of Scotland is scheduled for the end of July, with a friendly against Celtic in Glasgow on the 25th among the first scheduled gamesand the hope is that Pulisic will be fully recovered before then.
Pochettino on USMNT elimination: ‘It wasn’t our day’
The USMNT have shown real promise throughout the tournament, and Pochettino’s project seems to be gaining momentum following the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, only In Belgium to end it suddenly. Costly individual mistakes add up to damage and ultimately seal the fate of the last host standing in the tournament.
With his contract situation still unresolved, Pochettino was blunt and committed in the post-match press conference: “Congratulations to Belgium. They were better than us. That’s not to make excuses, because we didn’t show what this team usually shows. We have to examine this game and we need to see why we haven’t approached it the same way as others. World Cup. Perhaps the explanation is simple: it was not our day, collectively or individually. Yes, the most responsible person is me. And yes, we need to see and evaluate what we did, because it was not working or the way we usually play.“
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