Pulisic out for several weeks due to bone contusion and micro-fracture

Diagnosis and time out

Initially, media had reported that the 25-year-old had only suffered a slight muscle strain and that there was hope for a quick comeback. Now, however, the diagnosis is more severe: „Er wird mehrere Wochen ausfallen", as "The Athletic" writes.

The USA had survived the group stage and defeated, among others, Mexico, before beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2:0 in the round of 32. Even then, there had been a consequential scene: Folarin Balogun saw a red card in that match and would thus have been suspended for the round of 16 against Belgium. The sending-off was later overturned, however.

Balogun red card and its consequences

Balogun was available again against Belgium, but the team coached by Thomas Tuchel lost to the Europeans 1:4. The World Cup is thus over early for the USA, while Belgium, after a 0:2 deficit in the round of 32 against Senegal, had still managed to advance to the round of the last 16.

Belgium's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois recalled ahead of the upcoming quarterfinal against Spain the unexpected victory eight years ago against Brazil, when a 2:1 in the World Cup quarterfinal enabled the first semi-final appearance in 32 years. „Das hat unsere Fähigkeiten gezeigt, bis zum Ende an uns zu glauben, und das ist eine Stärke bei einer Weltmeisterschaft", said the Real Madrid keeper.

Courtois also emphasized the cohesion of his team: „Aber ich habe das Gefühl, wir sind jetzt ein großartiges Team, und wir kämpfen." Earlier, Wayne Rooney had already raved on the "BBC": „Das 3:2 gegen Mexiko hat gezeigt, dass wir eine Mannschaft haben, die in der Lage ist, die WM zu gewinnen."

Consequences for Pulisic and the USA

For Pulisic and the USA, the tournament is over after the defeat against Belgium. The US team thus loses its most important attacking player not only for the remainder of the competition but possibly also for the start of the season at his club. The striker, who is considered injury-prone, had already struggled with physical problems in the past.

The exact details regarding the time out have not yet been officially confirmed by the US federation. "The Athletic" cites people familiar with the diagnosis; the US federation and club are expected to comment shortly. Pulisic himself remained reserved after the game: „Ich will es nicht verschreien, aber fragen Sie mich noch mal, wenn wir ins Finale kommen", he said when asked by a reporter, as reported by the news agency "PA."

Beyond the sporting exit, the injury also raises questions for further squad planning. The USA had played a strong role in this tournament for the first time in a long while and had defeated Mexico, among others, in a high-class match. With a view to the upcoming tasks, Pulisic will now be missing.

Outlook on further World Cup matches

In the further course of the tournament, Belgium faces the heavy favorite Spain in the quarterfinal, while other teams are simultaneously preparing for the next rounds. England faces Norway in the quarterfinal on Saturday (11 p.m./MagentaTV), and France plays against Morocco.

The Scandinavians around captain Martin Ödegaard have switched hotels ahead of the quarterfinal because the original accommodation did not meet the required minimum standards. „Einfach um uns bestmöglich auf ein wichtiges Spiel vorzubereiten", said Ödegaard according to Norwegian media reports.

France is gearing up for possible riots ahead of the World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco in the evening (10 p.m./ARD and MagentaTV). Morocco must play the match without the future Bayern professional Ismael Saibari, who had been substituted early after taking a knock during the 3:0 against fellow host Canada.

Referee debates and World Cup statistics

FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina meanwhile defended the independence of the World Cup referees following an official complaint from Egypt. „Ebenso kann niemand behaupten, dass die FIFA-Schiedsrichterabteilung von irgendjemandem beeinflusst werden kann, nicht einmal vom FIFA-Präsidenten", said the 66-year-old Italian.

At the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, fewer spectators are coming to the stadiums on average than at the last edition in North America in 1994. Ahead of the quarterfinals, the average attendance is 65,204 per match according to FIFA. The old record came from the tournament in the USA in 1994, when just over 3.5 million spectators attended – although only 24 teams were then allowed to participate.