Pulisic declares himself fit to face Turkey as USA seal World Cup last 32 place

Christian Pulisic has declared himself fit and eager to return for the United States in their World Cup 2026 group-stage finale against Turkey on Thursday night, after a calf injury forced him to miss the Americans’ 2-0 victory over Australia last Friday.

The AC Milan midfielder was substituted at half-time of the USA’s opening 4-1 win over Paraguay after a training injury flared up during the match. He spent the following week working individually before rejoining the squad for full training sessions this week ahead of the Turkey fixture at Great Park.

“I’m hoping to play a part in it, for sure,” Pulisic said at Wednesday’s training session. “I’ll discuss that with my coaches and the medical staff. Obviously not a good chance I’ll probably go and play 90 minutes right away after you come back and miss a game, but we’ll see.”

Pulisic said he had been close to being available against Australia but was held back to protect his fitness for later rounds. He was clear that the injury never threatened to become something more serious. “I never feared anything worse,” he said. “I was pushing, and I was really close to trying to be available for the last game, for sure.”

The match carries no competitive weight for either side. The USA have already secured top spot in their group, while Turkey have been eliminated from knockout contention. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has not confirmed how he will approach the fixture, but is expected to rotate his squad and hand fringe players a rare opportunity before the Round of 32 on 1 July in Santa Clara, California.

Central defender Chris Richards, who has started both group games, welcomed the prospect of some rest for key players. “Our trainings are pretty intense,” Richards said. “I think fitness won’t be an issue. I don’t think sharpness will be, either. Obviously it’s good to keep into some sort of rhythm, but I think these guys deserve it if they get the chance. I think we’ll be fine when it comes to the next game.”

For Pulisic, the priority is arriving at the knockout stage in full health. Even a cameo against Turkey would represent a significant step after more than a week on the sidelines during the tournament he has long targeted as a centrepiece of his international career.