Christian Pulisic will not be suiting up today. The United States’ most important player will be watching from the sidelines at one of the World Cup group stage’s most critical moments.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the news roughly before kickoff at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Mauricio Pochettino Delivers the Update On Christian Pulisic’s Injury
Pulisic is unavailable for today’s clash against Australia because of the left calf injury he picked up in last Friday’s tournament opener against Paraguay. USMNT ended up winning that game 4-1.
EXCLUSIVE: USA star Christian Pulisic is OUT today with a calf injury against Australia and Ricardo Pepi will get the start, USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino tells FOX Sports’ @JennyTaft. pic.twitter.com/ZobSiOfjYx
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
“Christian is not available. The evolution is really well. Today he was training in the morning in the training camp. I think the feelings are good. I hope as soon as possible he will be ready to play again and be part of the team,” the Argentine manager said to the media.
Pulisic first aggravated his left calf during training camp ahead of the Paraguay opener and then took a kick to the leg during the match. He was subbed off for the second half, but Pulisic had a solid impact in the first 45 minutes.
The AC Milan winger was directly involved in the USA’s two goals in the first half, bagging an assist when Folarin Balogun made it 2-0.
Pulisic spent the entire week training individually and was listed as day-to-day throughout, with the medical staff assessing him daily. He was seen wearing a black compression sleeve around the affected calf during sessions and did not train with the main group at any point this week.
Pochettino said on Thursday that Pulisic had been making a “massive effort trying to be ready” and described him as “much better,” but the overnight assessment ultimately confirmed he would not be cleared to play.
With Pulisic out, Pochettino turns to Ricardo Pepi as the starting option up front. Pepi appeared four times for the U.S. in 2026 prior to the tournament and bagged two assists. Sebastian Berhalter is another player the coaching staff will lean on to fill the void on the left wing.
The U.S. beat Australia 4-1 in a friendly in September 2025 and has a strong recent record against the Socceroos. But the Australians enter today on the back of a 2-0 win over Turkey in their opener and will be confident.
Win today, and the U.S. takes a major step toward the knockout round on its own terms. If the Americans lose today, their path to the knockout stages will surely be complicated. Either way, the sooner Pulisic is back, the better.
