US men’s soccer team exits World Cup, Pulisic criticised

The United States men's national soccer team's 2026 World Cup campaign ended in the Round of 16 with a 4-1 loss to Belgium, sparking intense criticism directed at captain Christian Pulisic for his performance and subsequent comments. The elimination, which occurred on or before July 8, 2026, matched the team's result from the 2022 tournament and fell short of the quarterfinal benchmark set in 2002.

Pulisic, the team's 27-year-old captain and most prominent player, faced scrutiny for his limited impact during the co-hosted tournament. He was hampered by injuries, missing one-and-a-half group stage matches with a calf issue and being substituted in the 59th minute of the loss to Belgium due to an ankle sprain. Across the tournament, he played approximately 224 minutes, registering no goals and one assist.

The criticism intensified following the match. Analyst Nick Wright described Pulisic's tournament as "awfully disappointing," arguing the player "made almost zero impact" and "no-showed in the biggest tournament of his life." Former U.S. women's national team star Carli Lloyd, who had questioned Pulisic's performances throughout the event, took issue with his post-match focus on...