Christian Pulisic propelled the United States to the Round of 16 with a goal during the first half of Tuesday’s World Cup match against Iran.
But, this Group Stage-sealing goal came at a price.
The American superstar collided with the Iranian goalkeeper and took a massive blow to the stomach. As a result he was unable to return for the second half and was transported to a local hospital.
A photo of Pulisic in his hospital bed is going viral on social media. The 24-year-old striker gave a huge smile, a first pump and a message for his teammates.
“So f—ing proud of my guys I’ll be ready Saturday don’t worry,” he appeared to write as the caption.
The sports world took to Twitter to react to this encouraging photo.
“This is iconic!” one fan wrote.
“Coolest photo ever,” another added.
“CAPTAIN AMERICA,” another said.
“All heart! So proud of these boys! LFG!!!! Survive and Advance!” another wrote.
If Pulisic truly is ready to go on Saturday, he will take the field with his United States teammates for a Round of 16 matchup against the Netherlands at 10 a.m. ET..