“Really Poor”: Megan Rapinoe Disappointed With Christian Pulisic’s World Cup Performance, Picks Her Standout Player

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup was a forgettable journey for Christian Pulisic. He failed to score a single goal over his four appearances in the tournament, and injuries kept bothering him since the first game. During his final 59 minutes against Belgium, he lost the ball 14 times, making him the most dispossessed player on the pitch. That left Megan Rapinoe disappointed with Pulisic, and she selected another standout performer.

“One of our best players, Christian Pulisic, obviously went off with an injury in the second half, but a really poor first half, a nervy one, he just didn’t look like he could find his feet,” Rapinoe said via A Touch More: The Beautiful Game.

Pulisic suffered a calf injury during the USMNT’s opening match against Paraguay. The setback forced him to miss the second match against Australia entirely. He was limited to a substitute appearance against Turkey. Then, in the 52nd minute of the Round of 16 match against Belgium, he collided with the opposition’s captain, Youri Tielemans, while attempting a shot. Post-tournament medical scans later revealed that Pulisic played through a bone bruise and a microfracture of his right tibia and fibula before being subbed off in the 59th minute.

Soccer: International Mens Friendly-Ecuador at USA Oct 10, 2025 Austin, Texas, USA United States forward Christian Pulisic 10 on the bench before the match at Q2 Stadium. Pulisic was a second-half substitute. Austin Q2 Stadium Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xScottxColemanx 20251010_cec_wj8_345

So while injuries limited Pulisic’s game time, he couldn’t contribute much while he was on the field either. His only assist in the tournament came early in the opener against Paraguay.

“You wanted some of the big-time players to step up in big moments. I’ve got to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic. I think, whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game and really the whole World Cup,” Carli Lloyd said.

There were still a few bright spots in the USMNT from this World Cup. “Malik Tillman may have been one of the only players who had a good game, and then had a solid game. Obviously, he scored a goal, but just in general, he looked up for the moment,” Rapinoe added.

In his breakout World Cup, Tillman became the first player in 44 years (since France’s Bernard Genghini in 1982) to score two direct free-kick goals in a single World Cup tournament. Additionally, his first strike broke a 32-year drought for the USMNT. He became their first direct free-kick scorer since Eric Wynalda in 1994.

So, the USMNT has a few things to be proud of. But when it comes to Pulisic, it looks more concerning.

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