Landon Donovan Sounds off on Christian Pulisic's World Cup Injury Exit

The United States Men’s National Team had its World Cup run ended on Monday night, with Belgium dealing the team an embarrassing 4-1 loss at Seattle’s Lumen Field.

Star player Christian Pulisic, who had previously suffered a calf injury during his team’s group matches, was among the starters for this massive USMNT matchup, but suffered another injury in the second half. Pulisic went down on the field and stayed down for a while, with the referee eventually stopping play to check on him.

Pulisic attempted to remain in the game, but the injury clearly hampered his ability to contribute at a high level, as he was seen walking around on the field. Reportedly, he asked to be subbed out, which eventually occurred, and he was on the team’s bench, appearing frustrated with the injury and his inability to continue playing.

USMNT legend Landon Donovan shared his blunt reaction to Pulisic leaving the game, suggesting that if he were in that situation, they’d have to remove him from the field themselves, because he wouldn’t exit under those circumstances.

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“The reality is, he came out of a World Cup knockout game at home with his leg still intact. I’m saying this to you, Tim, and you know it because you played with me, you would’ve had to [expletive] drag me off the field, and I would’ve punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field,'” Donovan told podcast co-host, former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard.

“I played with a torn hamstring against Ghana after the Algeria game, and nobody knew about it. I didn’t have to tell anyone. It was no drama around it; I just did it. I could not believe that he didn’t stay in,” Donovan said, adding, “If we wake up tomorrow and he broke his leg, snapped, totally fine.”

Pulisic revealed in a post-match interview to Fox Sports’ Jenny Taft that he’d rolled his ankle or sprained it, but now that the team was out of the World Cup, he’d be able to rest and recover. That didn’t sit well with many fans, and another United States soccer legend, Carli Lloyd, called out Pulisic with a message about resting once his career is over.

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In addition to playing for the USMNT, Pulisic also plays for AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A. He scored eight goals and had four assists in his 2025-26 season with the football club, and the 2026-27 season will begin in August.

His second World Cup with the USMNT left a lot to be desired. Pulisic was considered a major star after the 2022 event and, heading into this one, he received much of the USMNT media attention. However, the spotlight shifted onto teammate Folarin Balogun, who scored three goals and received a controversial red card in the Round of 32, with FIFA deciding to lift his suspension for the Belgium matchup.

While Pulisic will be busy with his Serie A club over the next few seasons, he also has four years to become the star player he is supposed to achieve further success with USMNT at the 2030 World Cup.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM.