USMNT on Edge as They Await Assessment of Pulisic’s Injury

The US’s 2026 World Cup hopes may be over before the tournament even begins.

The US men’s national team (USMNT) saw superstar Christian Pulisic go down with a hamstring injury during a friendly against Australia yesterday. The midfielder was injured after an aggressive challenge from Jason Geria in the 31st minute. 

While he walked off the field under his own power, the team is still awaiting test results to determine the significance of the injury.

Injuries Piling up For Pulisic

The hamstring injury Pulisic suffered yesterday isn’t the only one he is currently dealing with.

The US star was already dealing with an ankle injury that he decided to play through yesterday. It was bad enough to keep him out of a match with Ecuador, but the team wanted him on the pitch against a hot Australian squad. Given that he only played 31 minutes yesterday, it's hard to know how the ankle was still an issue.

It would be surprising to see the tests on Pulisic’s hamstring come back with anything long-term, but those injuries tend to linger for athletes. Given his role with AC Milan, there will be plenty of pressure to return to the pitch ASAP. That will take a toll on Pulisic and could lead to a regression at the worst possible time.

USMNT Can’t Afford to Lose Their Star

Pulisic’s importance to the USMNT cannot be understated. He is by far the greatest talent on the pitch and the only one with experience playing a starring role for a major European club (AC Milan). While he is still young, there is already a strong argument for him being the most talented player the US has ever produced.

The US national team has been going through hard times, and a long-term injury to Pulisic could lead to an ugly World Cup performance, squandering the rare homefield advantage they will have this summer.

Soccer betting sites have set their odds well outside of the top ten favorites, and will likely drop them far lower if Pulisic’s fitness is in question. 

Pulisic Was Playing his Best Soccer

The US midfielder has been excellent in international play, but has been even better in Serie A. He leads AC Milan in goals (4) and assists (2) through two games. No one else on the squad has registered more than one of each, showing the role Pulisic has played over their first six league matches. 

If the star can avoid serious injury, that level of play could help the USMNT make an unexpected run in the World Cup this summer.