Pulisic Substituted at Halftime After Minor Knock in U.S. World Cup Win

Christian Pulisic was taken off at halftime in the United States' 4-1 opening win over Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, after drawing attention for his strong first half and an assist in the match. The U.S. began the tournament with a convincing victory in its opening game, played overnight between Friday and Saturday.

Because the substitution came so early, it raised questions about whether the American star had suffered an injury. Pulisic later told Fox that he had taken a light kick to the thigh in the first half. “I hope it’s nothing,” he said, adding that he was being cautious and hoped to be fine in the coming days.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino gave the same explanation after the match, saying Pulisic “felt a little unwell” and the team did not want to take any risks. “He was replaced as a precaution,” Pochettino said. The decision was also influenced by the structure of the expanded tournament, which gives the team more recovery time between games.

The United States will next face Australia in six days, and the coaching staff will be hoping Pulisic recovers in time to continue the strong form he showed against Paraguay.