Christian Pulisic had a disappointing World Cup, to say the least, but it was what he said afterward that sparked another debate. After the USMNT’s 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16, the captain revealed that he had suffered a sprained ankle, admitting he was looking forward to recovering. His comments caught the attention of former USWNT star Carli Lloyd, who delivered a blunt response.
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“You rest when your playing career is over,” Lloyd posted on X. “Period.”
It was a clear shot at Pulisic, who left the field in the second half of the Belgium game after twisting his ankle, adding to the disappointment of the tournament run ending for the Americans. When asked about the issue after the game, the forward expressed frustration about how the World Cup had concluded for him.
“Yeah, I mean, I just twisted my ankle and just sprained my ankle,” he said. “I mean, it’s just frustrating to end like that, of course. But, you know, now I have time to rest, so hopefully it’ll be okay.”
The post was only the latest criticism Lloyd had made of the men’s team following their Round of 16 exit.
Carli Lloyd takes a shot at Christian Pulisic following his ‘rest’ comments 😯 pic.twitter.com/WPjXcj0Fws https://t.co/YDYJuVnGjN
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) July 8, 2026
During FOX Sports’ post-match coverage, she had questioned the team’s mentality, singling out Pulisic specifically as someone from whom she expected more.
“I was a bit disappointed with Christian Pulisic,” Lloyd said during the broadcast. “I think whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game and really the whole World Cup.”
Lloyd has a point.
Pulisic failed to register a single goal the entire tournament and logged just one assist. He played only 45 minutes against Paraguay due to a calf injury, missed the game against Australia, and logged 33 minutes against Turkiye. He was also unremarkable against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and didn’t contribute much in the loss to Belgium before being injured.
Lloyd’s disappointment seemingly stretches to the entire men’s team. In the same post-match conference, she said that the USMNT “lost the game before they even stepped onto the pitch.”
“I’m not sure why, and I don’t know the reasons, but just from the beginning, just chasing, tentative, scared, just not confident on the ball,” she added.
Lloyd’s response made sure that Pulisic’s brief comment about his recovery evolved into a critical moment in the growing conversation around the USMNT’s disappointing World Cup exit.
