US football star Christian Pulisic has sustained a fractured right leg, an injury that brought his World Cup campaign to an abrupt end and is expected to keep him off the pitch for several weeks. The injury occurred during the USA's 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round-of-16 match on Monday in Seattle.
Reports, initially from The Athletic and attributed to an anonymous source, indicate that Pulisic suffered a bone bruise and microfractures to both his tibia and fibula. The US Soccer Federation has yet to issue an official statement regarding the diagnosis. The incident took place in the 52nd minute of the match when Pulisic, attempting a shot, collided with Belgium captain Youri Tielemans. He remained on the field briefly but was visibly struggling, leading to his substitution by Sebastian Berhalter in the 59th minute.
This injury caps a challenging World Cup for the 27-year-old, who will turn 28 in September. Pulisic failed to score during the tournament, missed one match due to a calf injury, and was substituted early in two others. Despite these setbacks, he is anticipated to be back in training before AC Milan's Serie A season commences with an opener against Torino on August 23, where he is due to begin his fourth season with the club.
The USA's journey in the World Cup started strongly, despite initial concerns over Pulisic's fitness. He was replaced at half-time in their opening 4-1 victory over Paraguay due to a calf issue and subsequently missed their 2-0 win against Australia. Mauricio Pochettino, the US coach, later rotated his squad for the final group game after securing top spot, which saw the US fall to a 3-2 defeat. In the Round of 32, the USA secured a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but star striker Folarin Balogun was sent off following a VAR review.
Balogun's subsequent one-match ban was controversially suspended following an intervention from US President Donald Trump, making him available for the last-16 clash against Belgium. However, Balogun's inclusion failed to inspire the World Cup co-hosts, who ultimately succumbed to a 4-1 defeat. Belgium are now scheduled to face Spain in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.