Pochettino Provides Pulisic Injury Update After Sudden Substitution At 45'

Christian Pulisic gave the United States a small scare on Saturday morning but coach Mauricio Pochettino says there is no need to worry.

USA played their first match at the 2026 World Cup against Paraguay. The game was at SoFi Stadium in California, and the hosts won 4-1.

Pulisic, the team captain, started the game and was exceptional. In the first half, the former Chelsea star created the first goal and also set up Folarin Balogun, who scored twice. By half-time, the USA were already winning 3-0.

But there was a problem, Pulisic did not come back out for the second half the 27-year-old was taken off and replaced by another player.

After the match, Pochettino explained what happened stating Pulisic got a kick on his calf during the game, and that the player had also picked up a small knock in training two days earlier. Because of this, the coach decided not to risk him.

"Pulisic had a kick on his calf, and was feeling a little bit tight," Pochettino said. "We didn't want to take any risks with him. Hopefully it's not a big issue for him."

The coach took Pulisic off just to keep him safe. USA were already winning easily, so there was no reason to take a chance with their best player.

Pulisic himself was calm about it. He told reporters he does not think the injury is serious. He has had small problems like this before, and he is staying positive.

There is good news for USA fans. Pochettino said he hopes Pulisic will be ready for the next match against Australia. If he recovers in time, the captain should be back on the pitch.

The win over Paraguay was a great start. The USA scored four goals in a single World Cup match for the first time in their history. Balogun looked sharp with his two goals, and Giovanni Reyna scored late to make it 4-1.

For now, the team has one simple job and that's basically to help Pulisic rest and get better. As long as their star man is fit and ready, the United States will feel good about the games ahead.