Overview
- Pulisic suffered the injury when his foot struck Belgium captain Youri Tielemans while he attempted a shot in the U.S. last-16 loss in Seattle on Monday.
- X-ray and MRI scans performed after the match showed a bone bruise and a microfracture of the right tibia and fibula, a diagnosis the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed on Thursday.
- Medical briefings and multiple outlets report he is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, is not expected to need surgery, and is targeting a return to training before the Aug. 23 Serie A opener.
- The injury compounds a tournament in which Pulisic was limited by a prior left-calf problem and played only a minority of the U.S. minutes across five matches.
- His postgame remark about having 'time to rest' prompted sharp public criticism from former U.S. players and has intensified questions about his availability and long-term durability as the national team's leading player.