A week before his 18th birthday, Pinturault made his World Cup debut in March
2009 in
Åre, Sweden. His first podium came two years later in March
2011, a runner-up finish in giant slalom in
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. That fall, he was also a runner-up at
Sölden in October
2011 and gained his first World Cup victory in February 2012, in the parallel slalom in Moscow, Russia. Pinturault was unable to make the season start in Sölden in October
2012, as he injured his ankle while playing tennis and had to pause for three months. In December, he won his second World Cup race in slalom at
Val-d'Isère, where he thrilled the home fans with a brilliant second run under the floodlights to rise from sixth place. He convincingly beat Germany's
Felix Neureuther by half a second and future World Cup champion
Marcel Hirscher, who led by 0.57 seconds after the first run. Pinturault's third win was at the super-combined in
Wengen, Switzerland, where his superior slalom skills were key. After placing 22nd in the downhill portion, he finished 1.15 seconds ahead of
Ivica Kostelić of Croatia. The training run for the downhill portion was his first time on downhill skis for months, as he missed pre-season speed training after surgery on his left ankle in August to repair ligaments damaged while playing tennis. Pinturault did not medal at the world championships in
2013 but had four top-six finishes. A week later, he claimed a fourth World Cup win, his first in giant slalom, at
Garmisch, Germany. Being second after the first run, Pinturault's total time was 0.60 seconds ahead of runner-up Hirscher. On 15 March, he was honored as the 2013
Longines Rising Star, as the top young racer (under 23) of the season. Pinturault changed equipment after the 2014 season, from
Salomon to
Head. Before the
2023–24 season, Pinturault announced he will not compete in slalom anymore, giving focus to the speed disciplines. Pinturault retired at the end of the
2025–26 season. ==World Cup results==