Christian Pulisic's 2026 World Cup ended in disappointment as the United States, co-hosts of the tournament, were knocked out of the last 16 by Belgium in a 4-1 defeat on Monday. Pulisic, long positioned as the face of US men's football and with this home World Cup billed for eight years as the potential peak of his career, was forced off after less than an hour with twisted ankle and knee injuries. The tournament matters because it was widely seen as American soccer's biggest-ever opportunity, and the team's exit — with much of its earlier success coming without Pulisic's decisive involvement — fell well short of expectations.

Pulisic's tournament produced only fleeting highlights: an assist in a strong first half against Paraguay before an injury-forced substitution, a missed group game against Australia, a bench appearance against Turkey and an ineffective outing against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Against Belgium he reverted to over-forcing play, losing the ball 14 times to become the most dispossessed player on the pitch before his injury. Fox analyst Carli Lloyd, noting his heavy presence in the broadcaster's advertising, said she was disappointed and had seen only "little glimpses" from him across the whole tournament, while Pulisic himself insisted the experience had "exceeded expectations" off the pitch.