CALIFORNIA
United States captain Christian Pulisic has eased injury fears after being substituted at halftime during the host nation’s commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match.
The star winger revealed that his early exit was entirely precautionary after absorbing a heavy blow to his calf during the first 45 minutes of play. “Took a bit of a kick,” Pulisic reassured fans post-match. “So I’m really hoping that it’s nothing… taking a little bit of precautions today, but I’m hoping I’ll be fine.”
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino later confirmed that Pulisic was already carrying a minor knock sustained during a training session two days prior to the match. Pochettino explained that once the muscle began to cool down at halftime, the medical staff chose not to risk any further damage. However, the manager remained highly optimistic, stating he expects Pulisic to return for the USA’s next Group stage clash against Australia. Despite losing their talisman at the break, the United States maintained complete dominance to record the highest number of World Cup goals in the country’s history.
Pulisic was instrumental early on, orchestrating a 7th-minute forced own-goal by Damian Bobadilla before providing a brilliant, pinpoint cross to set up a Folarin Balogun strike in the 31st minute. Balogun later netted a sensational second goal deep in stoppage time, while substitute Gio Reyna capped off the historic evening with a stunning long-range strike into the top corner.
The historic triumph puts the USA firmly at the top of their group, while neighboring co-hosts Canada fought back to rescue a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United States squad will now travel to Seattle for their next highly anticipated group match.
