Pulisic close to returning, but the USA has no reason to take risks in the group finale against Turkey
Christian Pulisic could return to the United States national team squad for the match against Turkey in the final round of Group D at the 2026 World Cup, but his playing time remains one of the main questions ahead of the clash, which will be played on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood. The American captain missed the win over Australia because of a calf problem, after he had to come off at halftime in the opening match against Paraguay. According to available information from the American camp and reports from media covering the national team, the injury has not been presented as serious, but it has not been officially confirmed whether Pulisic will start the match, come off the bench or be rested completely. Such uncertainty is important because the USA has already secured first place in Group D, so head coach Mauricio Pochettino does not have to make the decision under pressure from the result. In that context, the duel with Turkey is increasingly being viewed as a test of balance between maintaining rhythm and protecting the most important players before the knockout stage.
The injury that stopped the captain after a strong start
Pulisic opened the tournament with a very influential performance in the USA's 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles. According to U.S. Soccer's report from that match, he was involved in the move that led to Paraguay's early own goal, and then with a precise pass he found Folarin Balogun for the goal that put the American team 2-0 ahead. Although he did not finish the match, his first half confirmed why he remains the team's central attacking figure: between the lines he accelerated play, tied up opposing defenders and opened space for Balogun, Weston McKennie and other players arriving from deeper positions. In its text commentary of the match, U.S. Soccer stated that Pochettino brought on Sebastian Berhalter instead of Pulisic at the start of the second half, and later American media reported that the substitution was connected to a problem in the calf area.
The Guardian, citing Pochettino's press conference before the match against Australia, reported that Pulisic injured his calf in training and then aggravated the condition during the win over Paraguay. The same source relayed Pochettino's assessment that the player was recovering and was in better condition than immediately after the first match, but also that the decision on his appearance against Australia depended on the assessment of the medical staff. Sporting News subsequently reported that Pulisic was officially left out of the squad for the match against Australia, with the explanation that it was a matter of caution and that until then he had trained separately from the main group. Pulisic, according to reported statements after the duel with Paraguay, himself described the problem as a knock and tightness in the calf area and said that he remained positive. Since the national team has not published a detailed medical diagnosis, any assessment of the exact degree of the injury must remain cautious.
Pochettino now has a luxury he did not have before Australia
The situation changed significantly after the second round. The USA beat Australia 2-0 in Seattle, according to U.S. Soccer's report secured qualification for the round of 32 with one round to spare, and then Paraguay's 1-0 victory over Turkey mathematically secured first place in Group D for the American national team. U.S. Soccer stated that this is the third time in history that the American men's national team has finished first in its group at a World Cup, after 1930 and 2010. Such an outcome directly affects the decision on Pulisic: the match against Turkey no longer determines the American qualification position, but serves as preparation for the first elimination round. That does not mean the match is without importance, but it changes the risk-benefit ratio when it comes to the player who is the team's most important creative and finishing pillar.
Pochettino can therefore choose between several realistic scenarios. The first is to keep Pulisic out of the matchday squad and thus give him additional days of recovery before the knockout stage. The second is to send him onto the field late on, in controlled minutes, in order to test the calf's reaction and restore his competitive feel. The third, least likely given the state of the table, would be a return to the starting lineup. According to currently available information, none of these options has been officially confirmed, and the final decision will probably depend on the medical assessment, the player's own feeling and Pochettino's judgment of how much playing time he needs before the next stage.
The Americans want to maintain rhythm, but they can rotate
Although first place in the group has been secured, the American camp is publicly saying that it does not view the match with Turkey as a formality. Ahead of the match, U.S. Soccer relayed statements from Max Arfsten, Alex Zendejas and Matt Freese, who emphasized the importance of competitive rhythm and a positive feeling before entering the knockout stage. Arfsten said that the team does not want to enter the elimination phase with a bad impression from the final group match, while Zendejas stressed that secured qualification does not mean the team is allowed to slow down. Such statements show that Pochettino must simultaneously take freshness, suspensions and psychological continuity into account. A successful national team at this stage of the tournament often seeks not only a result, but also confirmation of its way of playing.
Rotation is nevertheless a logical possibility. U.S. Soccer stated that four regular starters, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun, enter the match with one yellow card. According to the rules cited by U.S. Soccer while referring to FIFA, a player who receives two yellow cards must serve a one-match suspension, while individual yellow cards are wiped after the group stage and after the quarterfinals. This gives Pochettino a strong reason to be cautious, especially because the named players were important in both wins so far. If Pulisic's recovery is added to that, it is clear why the final round could bring a mixed lineup, with minutes for players who have not yet had a major role at the tournament.
The win over Australia showed that the USA has solutions even without Pulisic
Pulisic's absence against Australia was the first major test of the American attacking structure at the tournament. According to U.S. Soccer's report, the USA won 2-0, and the match was marked by an early own goal after a move involving Balogun and a goal by Alex Freeman. U.S. Soccer highlighted that this victory brought the United States its eighth clean sheet at World Cups and that the USA opened a World Cup with two consecutive wins for the first time since 1930. These are facts that change the broader context of Pulisic's status: his value to the team is not in question, but Pochettino now has proof that the system can function even when the captain is not on the field. That is precisely what makes a more cautious approach easier.
Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah represent different attacking options, although none carries exactly the same profile as Pulisic. Reyna can provide creation between the lines, Aaronson pressure and off-ball movement, Weah depth and speed, while Pepi and Balogun offer finishing in the penalty area. If Pulisic is preserved, Pochettino could use the match with Turkey to test one of those combinations in the conditions of a major tournament. If he gets only part of the minutes, more important than the number of touches on the ball will be how he moves, accelerates, changes direction and reacts after contact. With calf injuries, explosive changes of rhythm are often a bigger test than running in a straight line itself.
Turkey playing for pride after early elimination
Turkey enters the final round without a chance of progressing. According to U.S. Soccer, the 1-0 defeat to Paraguay meant that the Turkish national team would finish last in Group D, after previously also losing to Australia. That still does not mean this is an opponent without motivation. Turkey has a number of technically gifted players and a national team that had high expectations before the tournament, so the match against the USA remains an opportunity to improve the impression and symbolically conclude its World Cup appearance. In its match preview, U.S. Soccer recalls that the head-to-head history of these national teams is even, with two wins each and one draw in five previous meetings. It is especially emphasized that all those duels were decided by no more than one goal, which suggests that the American staff has no reason to underestimate the opponent.
For Pochettino, this is an additional argument against excessive experimentation without structure. Although the result is irrelevant for the USA's position, a match against eliminated but talented Turkey can quickly become physically and emotionally demanding if an open rhythm is allowed. That is particularly important for a player returning after a calf problem. Pulisic's potential minutes are therefore not only a medical question, but also a question of match control: at what moment of the match he will return, how much will be demanded of him in pressing, and whether the USA will have enough possession to reduce the need for repeated sprints toward its own goal.
For Pulisic, the knockout stage is more important than the group finale
Pulisic's status also has broader significance because the USA, as winner of Group D, enters the round of 32 with growing expectations. According to U.S. Soccer, first place takes the American national team to the San Francisco Bay Area, where it will play against one of the third-placed teams from Groups B, E, F, I or J. In such a situation, the most important question is not whether Pulisic can play a certain number of minutes against Turkey, but whether he can be fully ready for a match in which one mistake means elimination. In World Cups played on a compressed schedule, the ability of the staff to protect key players at the right time often proves decisive, even when the players themselves want to play.
That is exactly why Pochettino's decision should not be interpreted exclusively through the prism of bravery or caution. If Pulisic plays, it would most likely mean that the medical team has assessed the risk as acceptable and that brief competitive minutes can help him regain rhythm. If he does not play, that would not necessarily mean a worsening of the condition, but possibly strategic preservation for a more important match. According to information publicly available so far, the injury is developing in a positive direction, but the final answer about his appearance against Turkey is expected only after the final assessments. For the USA, the most favorable circumstance is precisely that it can afford such waiting without endangering qualification.
A match that reveals Pochettino's priorities
The meeting between the USA and Turkey is therefore more than the final round of a group whose winner is already known. It will show how Pochettino intends to manage the squad at the moment when the tournament moves from the phase of collecting points to the phase of elimination decisions. If he leaves Pulisic on the bench, the message will be that health and freshness take precedence over a symbolic return. If he brings him on from the bench, that will indicate a desire for the captain to gradually return to rhythm without unnecessary burden. If he includes him from the first minute, it will be a sign that the American staff believes the recovery is stable enough and that he needs competitive continuity.
For now, the most cautious conclusion is that Pulisic is close to returning, but that his role against Turkey is not guaranteed. Through its results so far, the USA has earned the right to be cautious: it opened the tournament with a convincing win over Paraguay, confirmed itself against Australia without its captain and secured the best possible position in the group before the final round. In such circumstances, Pochettino has no need to prove the strength of the squad at any cost. It is much more important that Pulisic, when he returns, is ready for matches in which there will no longer be room for calculation.
Sources:
- U.S. Soccer – player reactions and confirmation of the USA's first place in Group D at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- U.S. Soccer – preview of the USA vs Turkey match, opponent context and head-to-head record (link)
- U.S. Soccer – report on the USA's win over Australia and qualification for the knockout stage (link)
- U.S. Soccer – analysis of the USA's performance in wins over Paraguay and Australia and data on the disciplinary situation (link)
- The Guardian – Pochettino's statements and context of Pulisic's recovery before the match with Australia (link)
- Sporting News – information on Pulisic's absence against Australia and chronology of the calf problem (link)