AC Milan, USMNT Benefit From Major Christian Pulisic Update

Christian Pulisic was all smiles on Tuesday as he made his return to the pitch.

The star of the U.S. men’s national team suffered a fluke leg injury in early July in the World Cup round of 16, seemingly the nail in the coffin of the eventual 4–1 thrashing to Belgium.

Pulisic, in attempt to kick the ball, instead collided with the lower leg of his Belgian opponent, Youri Tielemans, twisting his ankle and knee. Pulisic initially attempted to play through the pain; however, it proved unbearable, limping off just before the hour mark. He was shown on the bench with his head in his hands in disbelief for much of the remainder of the match.

The 27-year-old, later diagnosed with both a bone bruise and a micro-fracture of his tibia/fibula, missed all of AC Milan’s preseason ahead of the new Serie A campaign; however, after over 40 days of recovery, he proved fit enough to partake in the first part of Tuesday’s training at Milanello, including speed and agility drills.

Milan opens the 2026–27 season on Sunday against Torino. It is not yet known whether or not Pulisic will be ready for competitive action.

Christian Pulisic With Major Point to Prove

Pulisic running — Pulisic is in need of a career resurgence. | Claudio Villa/AC Milan/Getty Images

When Pulisic will be game-ready remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: he has a mountain to climb.

Supposedly one of, if not, the greatest American players of the sport, “Captain America” has significantly underperformed in the past year, no doubt in part to his consistent trips to the medical tent. He is in desperate need of a career resurgence.

The Hershey, Pa.-native had already entered the World Cup stage with a massive point to prove. On an international scoreless drought dating back to November 2024, he also struggled to find the net at the club level, wrapping up a career-worst season: 19 consecutive games for AC Milan without a goal, a streak dating back to 2025.

In soccer’s grandest affair, on home soil, in front of American fans all donning his jersey number would have been the most theatric way for Pulisic to right his sinking ship. Instead, his World Cup glory lasted exactly 45 minutes, before he suffered the first of his two injuries on the global stage. He suffered a blow to the calf in the tournament opener against Paraguay, sidelining him until the latter minutes of the group stage finale against Türkiye. He struggled to find his footing in the subsequent match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, before suffering his second injury against Belgium.

Christian Pulisic picked up an injury against Belgium. | John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Pulisic knows he didn’t deliver, which means he also knows all eyes will be on him to see how he responds. Meanwhile, many Americans have already snatched his USMNT crown, intent of finding a new leader for the team.

“Tough to find the words,” he posted to Instagram after the team’s World Cup exit. “I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who believed. The support carried us all the way through. It simply wasn’t good enough from us in the end and I wanted to deliver so much more. I still feel blessed to be a part of this team. The memories this summer will last a lifetime. It’s just the start for us and for this sport in America.”

If anybody believes Pulisic can turn his career around, then it’s AC Milan’s new manager Ruben Amorim.

“Pulisic is a really talented player,” Amorim said recently. “Of course, he had an injury again in the World Cup that we need to assess ... I know the strengths of Pulisic. I believe in him; he will be supported in our club.”

“I know he had some criticism after the World Cup elimination, but I am here to say we believe a lot in him, have a clear plan to use all the qualities that he has, so I can say to you that Pulisic is really important for us,” the former Manchester United boss added.

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