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There was very little to criticize about the U.S. men's national team's opening match at the 2026 World Cup.
Every key player delivered, Mauricio Pochettino's tactical decisions proved inspired, and the crowd brought the energy in a dominant 4–1 victory over Paraguay on Friday evening.
That said, if one concern lingered, it was Christian Pulisic's halftime exit. The standout performer of the first half did not come back out for the second 45 minutes after absorbing a knock to his leg, instead heading to the Friends and Family section of the stadium to watch his teammates cruise toward the biggest win in U.S. men's World Cup history.
While both the player and head coach played down the severity of the injury, Pochettino did acknowledge that Pulisic "could not walk" when he attempted to return to the field for the second half, as his muscles had tightened up during the break.
What Injury Does Christian Pulisic Have?
"I just took a bit of a knock in the first half," Pulisic said after the final whistle, once movement had returned to his lower body. "I'm really hoping it's nothing serious." The USMNT captain confirmed the problem area was a blow to his left calf.
As Pochettino disclosed in his post-match press conference, Pulisic had dealt with a similar complaint in training just days before the high-profile LA opener against Paraguay. Taking a hit during one of his numerous driving runs toward goal aggravated that existing issue, which was then worsened by sitting still for 15 minutes at halftime.
"When it [Pulisic's body] start to get cold, he cannot walk," Pochettino told reporters, adding that the decision to replace him with Sebastian Berhalter was made at the "last minute."
Will Christian Pulisic Be Fit for USMNT's Next World Cup Game?
Both Pulisic and Pochettino were keen to frame his substitution as nothing more than an abundance of caution. After all, the U.S. had built a 3–0 lead at the break without allowing a single shot on target. If there was ever an ideal moment to protect the team's most important player, that was it.
As Pochettino told Fox right after the final whistle: "We didn't want to take any risks."
"Taking a little bit of precaution today," Pulisic added, "but I'm hoping I'll be fine the next few days."
The winger has a full week to recover ahead of the USMNT's next World Cup fixture against Australia in Seattle on Friday, June 19. Should he return with the same electrifying pace and creativity, the Socceroos will be hoping his recovery takes longer than expected.