The U.S. star described the goal from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that lifted a nation – and sent him to the hospital
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'PULISIC' documentary final episodes streamingUSMNT star details iconic 2022 World Cup goalLooks forward to even better run in 2026 Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
It was an iconic moment, even if Christian Pulisic didn't know it at the time.
The U.S. men's national team star recalled his famous 2022 FIFA World Cup goal against Iran, detailing the surreal scenes in the final episodes of the season of his documentary series "PULISIC" on Paramount+.
At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the U.S. made a Round of 16 run, Pulisic scored an iconic group stage goal against Iran. Midfielder Weston McKennie found an energetic Sergino Dest surging down the wing, and he headed the ball across the box to a sprinting Pulisic. The U.S. winger smashed home with his right boot while falling to the ground and colliding with an opponent.
“I put so much pressure on myself in the build-up to this game," Pulisic said in the docuseries. "I was like, now it’s your time, you gotta make the difference if you want to be seen as a leader. if you want to be seen as one of the best players to put on the U.S. jersey, this is when you have to perform – this is when you have to do it. So I think we were confident for sure. But there was definitely this weight of, it’s win or you go home … so some player’s gotta step up, because now is the time."
The USMNT needed three points in the match to ensure they advanced out of the group. Pulisic's 37th-minute finish was the lone goal in the 1-0 win, sending the U.S. to the next round. Pulisic's was injured on the play, clattering into multiple defenders and the Iranian goalkeeper.
“It was such a weird goal because it was one of the best goals I’ve ever scored – and I didn’t get to celebrate, so it was definitely a strange one," he said. "Obviously, I got hit pretty hard, and it was just pain, and everyone just looked at me lying down in the goal. The stadium had this weird buzz to it, and obviously I was in so much pain … but had so much adrenaline going, and I was worried. Did it not count? Was I offside? So many things going in my head."
As the clock ticked down in the match, Pulisic wasn't on the pitch – instead, he was subbed off at the break, and then transported to the hospital.
"For sure, in the moment, my emotions for sure hit me. It didn’t feel real – obviously, I was in so much pain," he recalled. "I think adrenaline was kind of telling me, like, you’re fine – keep playing, but the doctors were like, 'No, you need to go to the hospital.' I was on the way to the hospital and sitting there. It was really strange. I was watching all the second half sitting there on my doctor‘s phone, and it just seemed surreal.
"I just scored in this game, and now I’m watching from the hospital, like the last moment, hoping we hold out. It was just like this insane experience. From the hospital bed, it was still an incredible moment for me. I was so proud of how the guys held on. I had a part in it. I remembered we called some guys from the hospital, and they were all like in the locker room celebrating, and the emotions were so high. And obviously, they were checking in on me.
"I just wanted to get back to the hotel and see everyone and join in the celebrations. It’s funny, all the comments on the goal were like ‘Yeah, he sacrificed it all, it was such a brave play.’ For me, it was just a play that I would make in any game. I was still in a little pain, but like, kind of the second day after the game, I already knew in my head that there was no way I wasn’t playing.”
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Pulisic will not be taking center stage for Mauricio Pochettino's team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer. Pulisic requested to take the summer off to recover after two straight years of heavy match congestion for both club and country.
“Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement. “After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”
Pochettino said he concluded was that this was the best outcome.
"Many people can say it's really important for us to all be together, but always as a coaching staff, we always listen to the player," Pochettino said upon his roster announcement. "Then, of course, we make the decision. We have our own ideas about everything but, I think after the consideration in every case and, in this case with Christian, I think we decided the best thing for him, the best thing for the national team is the decision that we made."
WHAT PULISIC SAID
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, Pulisic is hoping he can lead the USMNT to an even better run than in Qatar.
“I set even bigger goals for myself and for the team," he said in the docuseries. "In these major tournaments, we haven’t had that really, really big win and that big finish – that’s for me, that’s the next step for us. I’m always looking forward, and, l yeah, up our game and take this team to another level.”
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?
With the 26-year-old taking not in the USMNT camp, his next games will likely be in late summer as AC Milan begin their preseason. The are scheduled to face Liverpool at the state-of-the-art Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on July 26.