Pulisic’s two-touch solo creates one of the World Cup’s early highlights

Four matches into the 2026 World Cup, and after only 104 games of the tournament, Christian Pulisic may already have produced its standout moment. The United States took an early 1-0 lead against Paraguay on Friday into Saturday in Los Angeles, scoring in the seventh minute after Pulisic turned a routine attack into a breakaway that ended with Emilio Buendía putting the ball into his own net.

The Milan and U.S. national team winger beat four players in just two touches, a move the report compared in style to Lionel Messi’s trademark dribbling. The stadium in Los Angeles erupted after the sequence, which transformed a harmless-looking possession into a decisive opening goal.

Pulisic is described as one of the most creative American players in recent years. He joined Milan two years ago, and this season in Serie A he has scored five goals and added seven assists. Before that, he played for Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund. Across his career, clubs have paid transfer fees of 64 million euros and 20.8 million euros for him.

Fans praised the play in striking terms, saying, "He moves like Neymar." The report added that while there had been questions before the tournament about his sharpness, such a major action so early in the match showed how important he is for the United States.