Christian Pulisic fractured his right leg in the United States' 4-1 World Cup loss to Belgium and is expected to miss several weeks, a setback confirmed after testing on Tuesday and announced on Thursday. The U.S. Soccer Federation said the injury includes a bone bruise and a microfracture of his tibia and fibula.
The timing matters because the injury came in a match the United States had to have, and Pulisic was hurt in the 52nd minute when he hit the leg of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans while trying to shoot. He stayed in the game despite hobbling, then came off in the 59th minute for Sebastian Berhalter.
That detail is what makes the diagnosis sting. Pulisic did not come out immediately, but the later scans told a harsher story than the sideline reaction suggested. A bone bruise and microfracture are not the kind of problems that clear in a day or two; several weeks on the sideline is the practical meaning of that diagnosis, and he would not have been able to return even if the United States had advanced deeper into the tournament.
For now, the target is recovery, not competition. Pulisic is expected to resume training before AC Milan's Serie A opener at Torino on Aug. 23, which gives him a window to build back toward match fitness before the new season starts. He failed to score at the World Cup, missed one of the Americans' five matches with a calf injury and left two others early, a reminder that this tournament never fully settled for him.
That is the unresolved piece: not whether he will miss time, but how quickly he can turn medical clearance into sharpness. Pulisic turns 28 in September and is entering his fourth season with Milan, so the next step is less about the calendar than whether his right leg can hold up to the pace he will need when club play resumes.
