USA to face Australia in FIFA World Cup due to Pulisic injury
Sports analyst Dan Dakich previews the USA vs Australia FIFA World Cup match and addresses concerns over star Christian Pulisic’s calf injury. Dakich highlights Australia’s strong squad, noting their improved performance since a coaching change makes them a dangerous opponent. He emphasizes the importance of the US team’s preparedness for this critical knockout stage game and also touches on the US Open golf tournament.
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Team USA’s final group stage game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup does not mean anything in terms of winning Group D – they have already done so after wins in their first two matches against Paraguay and Australia.
But the status of Christian Pulisic remains a topic of conversation for the USMNT as he did not play against Australia after suffering a calf injury that kept him out of the second half of their opener against Paraguay.
But Pulisic told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft how he felt in training leading up to the final group stage match against Türkiye.
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Christian Pulisic had an assist in the first half of the USMNT World Cup opener against Paraguay. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Photos)
“Yes, I feel good. I think the team is good. I have been able to join the team for the last few days and I feel healthy and ready to go for this game,” he said.
That’s certainly a good thing to hear for the USMNT, and even more so when Pulisic answered Taft’s follow-up question: Is he 100%?
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“Yes, I would say so,” he replied. “I would definitely say yesterday I felt very close and I would say 100%.”
The question now becomes whether manager Mauricio Pochettino will risk playing Pulisic in a game that means nothing in relation to their place in the knockout round.
One side of the argument is why risk another injury? The USA has done a great job of winning both games to begin the tournament, and the real game that matters will be the Round of 32, where it will be win-or-go-home territory. Team USA will need Pulisic 100% to secure that game and advance.
Christian Pulisic of the United States celebrates after an own goal by Damian Bobadilla of Paraguay during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026. (Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
Then again, Pulisic has only played a single half in this tournament and it would bode well for him to get some game action against an opponent instead of facing his teammates in a practice setting. Momentum and comfort, even with a World Cup veteran like Pulisic, would do “Captain America” well to get going before the round of 32.
Taft added that the players have not yet been informed whether they will play. Pochettino may also need to be careful with the four players carrying yellow cards: Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun and Tyler Adams. Another booking would result in a one-match ban, causing them to miss out on the round of 32.
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Pulisic has also been dealing with injuries ahead of the World Cup, having not played much since early May. He made three substitute appearances for his club, AC Milan, and did not play a full match in three US friendlies leading up to the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic of the United States takes part in a training session for the 2026 World Cup at Great Sports Park in Irvine, California on June 17, 2026. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
However, Pulisic has said that minutes do not affect his “sharpness” and we will see if the 100% healthy star is used by Pochettino on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
After their 3-1 win on Wednesday, it looks like the USA will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16.
