Christian Pulisic wanted more time. The US men’s national team captain played just 45 minutes in the squad’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay during the 2026 FIFA World Cup before a calf injury pulled him off the pitch. In a FOX Sports interview after the tournament, Pulisic said the World Cup “needed more than 45 minutes” for him to make a true impact. He logged somewhere between 196 and 244 minutes across five matches total, a fraction of what the team’s biggest star should have contributed on home soil.
The gap between expectation and reality
The USMNT entered the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts with enormous expectations. Coach Mauricio Pochettino was tasked with building a squad capable of a deep tournament run. Pulisic, the AC Milan winger and team captain, was the centerpiece of that plan.
Recurring calf injuries limited Pulisic throughout the tournament. He missed significant matches, including the game against Australia, and faced inconsistent playing time when he was available. The Paraguay match, where he contributed before exiting at halftime, became a symbol of what could have been rather than what was.
Prediction markets and the Pulisic problem
