United States legend Carli Lloyd has reacted to an eyebrow-raising comment from USMNT star player Christian Pulisic with a brutal nine-word tweet.

Lloyd, the second-most capped player in USWNT history with 316 appearances between 2005-2021, didn’t hold back with her initial assessment of Pulisic after the USA were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup following a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium.

“You wanted some of the big time players to step up in big moments, and I’ve got to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic,” the 43-year-old said on FOX Sports. “I think, whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game and really the whole World Cup.”

The pre-match build-up was overshadowed by FIFA’s controversial decision to suspend striker Folarin Balogun’s one-man ban, following his red card against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32, but the USMTN failed to capitalise on their stroke of good fortune.

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Pulisic was subbed off by head coach Mauricio Pochettino moments after Belgium had taken a 3-1 lead through Hans Vanaken. Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal late on before replicating US President Donald Trump’s infamous dance moves alongside his teammates.

Lloyd has now doubled down on her criticism of Pulisic, who said after the USMNT’s 4-1 defeat: “I just twisted and sprained my ankle. It’s frustrating to end like that, of course, but now I get time to rest, so it’ll be okay.”

In response, Lloyd issued a blunt comment via X (Twitter). She wrote:

While some USMNT fans are in complete agreement with Lloyd, left with a bitterly disappointed feeling that Pulisic didn’t do enough at this summer’s showpiece tournament, others feel it was a cheap shot.

One supporter replied: “I really enjoy watching you Carli, but this is one of your few bad takes. He’s resting to recover from an injury. He had an awful game, but I still remember him putting his body on the line to score the goal vs Iran in 2022 that got us out of the group.”

Another commented: “Former female athlete here, but honey THIS is not it. The behaviour of our women’s national team in response to this is actually disgusting. Not only are you making yourself look bad, but you’re making your entire team look bad and giving the haters that much more fuel against you.”

Tim Howard Casts Pulisic Verdict After USMNT Defeat

Action Images / Andrew Couldridge

Meanwhile, former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard has cast his verdict over the backlash against Pulisic.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” the ex-Manchester United and Everton star said to fellow USA legend Landon Donovan. “He is the face of this team. He is undoubtedly its best player and when that happens you will receive all of the money and all of the acclaim, and you’ll receive all of the blame. That’s how it works.

“I hope for his sake that he isn’t on social media for the foreseeable future. He deserves a rest, he can go on holiday. There’s a dark side to fame and celebrity.

“I think he’s a nice footballer. I still think he’s the best player on the team. Outside of that, you’d have to ask me very direct questions, to which I could give very direct answers, but ultimately he’s a nice footballer.”

Players competing at the 2026 World Cup were provided with a new, intervening signal ahead of the tournament: the “X” gesture.

Developing easily understood symbols and in-match protocols has been a major part of FIFA’s global football strategy in the 2020s. It is the football governing body’s approach to stamping out abuse and discrimination, and whilst a step in the right direction, it arguably still has room for improvement.

These types of incidents have the ability to completely overshadow matches or entire tournaments, and reflect FIFA’s desire to respond to and condemn unacceptable behaviour.

But what does the “X” gesture stand for and how is it aiding FIFA’s global campaign?

REUTERS/Rodrigo Antunes

The crossed arms symbol in football effectively means ‘no to racism’ and was first discussed at the 74^th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, in May 2024. The gesture itself was introduced at the 2024 Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia and has now been used in other major tournaments.

The gesture is the latest advancement in FIFA’s Global Stand Against Racism initiative. When brought up for discussion in Thailand in 2024, the symbol was unanimously approved by FIFA’s 211 Member Associations.

The No Racism gesture is designed to empower players, referees, and team officials, as well as providing a simple and standardised way of reporting racist abuse during a football match that immediately triggers FIFA’s anti-racism protocols.

How It Works

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The victim crosses their arms at the wrist, and this will signal to a referee, match official, or team captain, that they are being targeted by racist abuse. This will prompt the referee to activate the three-step procedure.

• Step 1 prompts the referee to decide whether to stop the match or not. If the gesture is made to a match official, they will communicate the report of abuse to the referee and the need to potentially stop the match.
• Step 2, if required, will lead to a suspension of the match by the referee. This step will be activated if the incident does not stop upon the restart of the match. This continued behaviour results in the suspension of the match and the two teams being instructed to return to their dressing rooms. An announcement is then made at the venue to inform all attendees of the reason for the match suspension, and that if the abusive behaviour does not cease, the match will be abandoned entirely.
• Step 3, if the conditions are met, results in the match being abandoned. This happens if the incident does not cease upon the restart of the match. The referee will only make this decision following consultation with the relevant authorities present and when it is safe to do so.

Notable Incidents

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The “X” gesture was back in the headlines during Argentina and Egypt’s 2026 World Cup Last 16 fixture. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan made the gesture multiple times toward referee François Letexier. It was alleged that racist insults from Argentina fans were hurled at the Egyptian bench during the celebrations for Enzo Fernández’s match-winning goal.

But instead of triggering the anti-racism three-step procedure, Letexier instead brandished a yellow card to Hassan for what was perceived as unacceptable touchline behaviour. It remains unclear whether Hassan was trying to report racist abuse.

Following the gesture, an Egyptian substitute and Hassan’s brother, Ibrahim, intervened. They put Hassan’s arms back down by his sides. Ibrahim Hassan’s thumbs-up gesture to the referee suggests that the Egypt coach was possibly misusing the gesture, which could result in a punishment from FIFA.

Referee François Letexier was coincidentally involved in another high-profile incident involving the “X” gesture earlier this year. During the Champions League knockout fixture between Real Madrid and Benfica, Vinicius Jr was allegedly targeted by racist abuse.

The Brazilian celebrated his 50th-minute goal at the Estádio da Luz with a dance by the corner flag, drawing angry responses from both Benfica players and fans. After alleging discriminatory abuse, Letexier threw up the “X” symbol before momentarily pausing the game. The fixture was stopped for almost 10 minutes.

During the stoppage, replays showed Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni covering his mouth whilst saying something to Vinicius after his celebrations. The Real Madrid players contested Prestianni’s continued involvement in the fixture during the match stoppage, even leaving the pitch in protest.

The match eventually resumed in the 61st minute, but the incident clearly had a negative effect on the match’s atmosphere. Prestianni was eventually given a six-match ban for homophobic conduct. The ban would have been 10 matches had the abuse been of a racist nature.

The 2026 World Cup has so far been a delight for many football fans across the globe, with the performances of big players, great underdog stories, and pulsating matches keeping everyone entertained.

The tournament being held in North America has helped grow the sport of football as new audiences are being introduced to the game properly for the first time and falling in love with the spectacle of it all.

Among those to have been enthralled is professional wrestling Superstar and influencer, Logan Paul. The American took to his official X account on Wednesday following Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16 to share his newfound appreciation for football.

Logan Paul’s Takeaways After Watching World Cup

The American star revealed that watching the majority of the 2026 World Cup has taught him five key things about the beautiful game.

The first thing Paul mentioned that impressed him was the sheer physicality on display in football games and the robustness required to play the sport.

The second aspect of football which has wowed the 31-year-old athlete is the entertainment factor in the sport. This World Cup has produced a number of dramatic contests before even reaching the quarter-final stage, leaving fans in disbelief at times with the almost movie-like turns of events.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck

This has made Paul compare football with the well-known entertainment aspect of professional wrestling, which has helped the sport thrive due to its compelling storylines and scripted material for decades.

Paul then pointed out the uniqueness of penalty kicks in football and how games of such magnitude can dramatically turn due to these isolated moments where the penalty kick taker and goalkeeper are the only individuals involved.

Penalties have proven to be a big factor at this World Cup already, as four knockout ties have been decided through penalty shootouts. This includes Switzerland’s triumph over Colombia in the last of the Round of 16 clashes on Tuesday evening. The European side secured a 4-3 win in the shootout after the game was goalless in the regular 90 minutes plus extra-time.

Paul’s next discovery of football is not necessarily a positive reflection of the game, and more an issue which perhaps stains the game at times.

The wrestling star is in agreement with many football fans that the officiating is not always the best during matches and that can be very detrimental to the team on the opposing end of a bad call.

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Refereeing decisions have been under the microscope at times during the 2026 World Cup. Argentina’s win over Egypt caused the losing side to be irate with the officials due to some of the key calls in the game going against them in their opinion.

Paul’s final observation was a positive one, as he described the unity which is brought as a result of the World Cup taking place. The American is impressed with how lives can be changed by delivering on the world stage.

Paul’s newfound liking for football proves that the sport has new audiences it can still tap into despite already being an obsession and way of life for many across the world.

The World Cup is clearly an event that can take football to even greater levels of popularity and this edition is evidently doing a great job of that based on Paul’s recent comments.