Christian Pulisic's Injury Diagnosis Makes His Critics Look Foolish

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Christian Pulisic's Injury Diagnosis Makes His Critics Look Foolish

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Holleran | Last updated Jul 9, 2026 10:00 PM ET

Christian Pulisic has been a major punching bag for critics of U.S. Soccer in the days that have followed the Round of 16 loss to Belgium.

Pulisic, viewed by some as the greatest men's player in U.S. Soccer history, failed to contribute in a big way during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was forced to leave Monday night's 4-1 loss to Belgium with an apparent leg injury. Critics called him soft and uninterested, after he told reporters following the match that now it's time for him to "rest."

"You wanted some of the big time players to step up in big moments, and I've got to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic," Carli Lloyd said. "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."

Nick Wright of Fox Sports 1 added: "To have the man who is supposed to be the greatest player in the history of our country simply no-show in the biggest tournament of his life is just awful."

USMNT star Christian Pulisic has recovered fully after suffering a calf injury in the group stage opener. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/David GonzalesIMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/David Gonzales

But it turns out that there's more to this story.

On Thursday, The Athletic reported that Pulisic has officially been diagnosed with a bone bruise and a microfracture in his leg. He will be sidelined for several weeks.

"Pulisic appeared to sustain the injury in the 52nd minute of the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 defeat, when he wound up to take a shot at the edge of the penalty box but instead kicked the back of Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans’ calf. Pulisic tried to play through the injury for several minutes, but hobbled around the field, and was then substituted in the 59th minute," The Athletic reported.

Pulisic's critics look pretty foolish now

Let this be a lesson to everyone: You never really know what an athlete is going through injury-wise.

Everyone was acting like Pulisic was being soft and scared of the moment when he took himself out of Monday night's game against Belgium. But, it turns out that he was actually playing through a legitimate fracture in his leg.

Pulisic might have more to prove on the international level, as he hasn't contributed to the USMNT in a similar way to Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey.

But, hopefully Thursday's official injury diagnosis will show people that there was more to this story. Pulisic was playing through a legitimate, painful injury. Now, he will have some time to recover.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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