The United States’ home World Cup campaign ended in a 4-1 loss to Belgium in Seattle, a defeat compounded by the diagnosis that captain Christian Pulisic had suffered a microfracture and bone bruise of the tibia and fibula in his right leg. The injury, confirmed by the US Soccer Federation, occurred early in the second half when Pulisic attempted a shot and instead struck the calf of Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans. He remained on the pitch for several minutes, visibly limping, before being substituted in the 59th minute, moments after Belgium had scored their third goal.

The 27-year-old’s tournament had already been disrupted by a calf problem sustained before the opening match against Paraguay, which forced him to miss the group-stage meeting with Australia and limited his minutes against Turkey. He returned for the knockout rounds but failed to register a goal across four appearances, managing only two shots on target and one assist. Against Belgium, he lost possession 11 times in the first half alone, a statistic that fed a broader narrative of underperformance from the face of American soccer on the sport’s biggest stage.

Reaction from former US internationals was swift and pointed. Landon Donovan, the country’s all-time men’s World Cup scorer, said on a podcast that he would have “punched the doctor in the face” to stay on the field, while Carli Lloyd, the women’s record goalscorer, criticised Pulisic’s post-match remark that he could now “rest,” writing on social media: “You rest when your playing career is over. Period.” Pulisic later posted a message thanking supporters and acknowledging that “it simply wasn’t good enough from us in the end.”

US Soccer stated it would collaborate with AC Milan on a recovery plan. Reports in Italy estimate a layoff of three to six weeks, with the player facing three weeks of complete rest followed by a gradual return to training. That timeline places his availability for the Serie A opener at Torino on 23 August in serious doubt. Milan’s new head coach, Ruben Amorim, had earlier described Pulisic as “perfect for Italian football” and outlined a tactical role between the lines, making the injury an immediate setback for the club’s pre-season preparations.

The loss was the heaviest World Cup defeat for the United States in 36 years and brought a sobering end to a tournament that had generated three earlier victories and raised expectations across the host nation. While the US must now qualify for the 2030 tournament, Pulisic’s immediate focus shifts to rehabilitation, with his club and national federation coordinating a timeline that will determine whether he can take the field when the Italian season begins.