The 2026 FIFA World Cup was a forgettable journey for Christian Pulisic. He failed to score a single goal over his four appearances in the tournament, and injuries kept bothering him since the first game. During his final 59 minutes against Belgium, he lost the ball 14 times, making him the most dispossessed player on the pitch. That left Megan Rapinoe disappointed with Pulisic, and she selected another standout performer.
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“One of our best players, Christian Pulisic,
obviously went off with an injury in the second half, but a really poor first half, a nervy one, he just didn’t look like he could find his
Imago
Soccer: International Mens Friendly-Ecuador at USA Oct 10, 2025 Austin, Texas, USA United States forward Christian Pulisic 10 on the bench before the match at Q2 Stadium. Pulisic was a second-half substitute. Austin Q2 Stadium Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xScottxColemanx 20251010_cec_wj8_345
There were still a few bright spots in the USMNT from this World Cup. “Malik Tillman may have been one of the only players who had a good game, and then had a solid game. Obviously, he scored a goal, but just in general, he looked up for the moment,” Rapinoe added.
In his breakout World Cup, Tillman became the first player in 44 years (since France’s Bernard Genghini in 1982) to score two direct free-kick goals in a single World Cup tournament. Additionally, his first strike broke a 32-year drought for the USMNT. He became their first direct free-kick scorer since Eric Wynalda in 1994.
So, the USMNT has a few things to be proud of. But when it comes to Pulisic, it looks more concerning.
