Pulisic says halftime exit was precaution after US beats Paraguay
Christian Pulisic said he expects to be fine after leaving the United States' 4-1 World Cup-opening win over Paraguay at halftime.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
The United States began its 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. The result put the cohosts on top of Group D, while Christian Pulisic’s halftime substitution briefly raised concern around the team’s most prominent attacker.
Pulisic told reporters at SoFi Stadium that the move was precautionary after he took contact during the first half. The AC Milan forward said he hoped the issue would settle within days.
“I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I’m really hoping that it’s nothing. Taking a little bit of precaution today. But I’m hoping I’ll be fine in the next few days,” Pulisic said, according to Al Jazeera and AFP.
Pulisic points to calf area after first-half knock
Pulisic had helped drive the United States attack before coming off, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. He provided an assist and also took part in the move that led to Paraguay’s own goal, combining with Weston McKennie in the first half.
After the match, Pulisic said the knock was to “the back of my leg” and identified the area as around his left calf, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. He said he had dealt with similar issues before and added that he did not think the problem was serious.
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino gave the same explanation for the substitution, saying the team “didn’t want to take any risks,” according to Al Jazeera and AFP.
Pulisic’s fitness is a central concern for the United States, which is playing a men’s World Cup on home soil for the first time in 32 years, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. He entered the tournament as one of the main faces of a squad trying to make a longer run than past U.S. teams.
Group D starts with US in front
The win gave the United States three points from its opening Group D match, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. Paraguay ended the first round of games at the bottom of the group pending the other opener.
Australia and Turkiye, the other teams in Group D, were scheduled to play each other later Saturday, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. The United States next faces Australia on Friday in Seattle before returning to Los Angeles to play Turkiye on June 25.
Pulisic described the victory as “an incredible start” but said the team still had more work ahead, according to Al Jazeera and AFP.
The tournament format sends the top two teams in each of the 12 groups into the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-place finishers, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. The knockout rounds begin with a round of 32.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.