USMNT’s Christian Pulisic Reveals World Cup Prep, Favorite Star to Play With

The U.S. men’s national team is exactly one month away from opening 2026 FIFA World Cup play on home soil, which means Christian Pulisic is exactly one month away from leading the charge.

The USMNT will clash with Group D foe Paraguay on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), the first stop in the Stars and Stripes’ highly anticipated Cinderella run. Pulisic, otherwise known as “Captain America” for his historic success as an American in Europe’s top soccer competitions, will have the weight of the nation on his shoulders. It is something he has borne since before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, his debut on the sport’s grandest stage, during which he notched an assist in the opener and scored the game-winner over Iran to advance to the round of 16.

“There’s nothing quite like a World Cup,” Pulisic says. “I remember the nerves and the feelings and going into it, it was just kind of surreal, and then the moment happens. It all goes so fast, but this time, I think I’ll definitely be more prepared for it, having played in one, having some good moments, and also some moments to learn from. Having done that before is going to help me for sure.”

Before he can turn his attention to the rest of the world, though, the AC Milan star must first battle himself. He has not only been plagued by a goalless drought internationally since 2024 and at the club level since 2025, but has also recently sustained an injury setback, missing Milan’s Serie A match against Atalanta on Sunday due to a muscular problem in his glute.

The 27-year-old must first find his way back to health before he considers finding his way to the back of the net, and ultimately to global glory.

Pulisic’s Plan to Shift His Mindset

Pulisic intends to completely relax his mind, a stark contrast to the attitude the freshly 24-year-old brought into the 2022 World Cup.

“I’m just going to try to live in the moment and enjoy it a bit more,” Pulisic says. “I was probably difficult to talk to during the whole experience. I was so locked in, just getting ready, [awestruck] like ‘This is the World Cup.’ It was so big. I just want to, in some ways, be a bit more relaxed and try to enjoy the experience more this time.”

The change in perspective will be aided by the familiar landscape, as the U.S. co-host the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada, with games across 11 different U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, which is less than 100 miles east of where Pulisic grew up in Hersey, Pa. The USMNT will play their group stage matches on the West Coast, though, in Los Angeles and Seattle.

“Having a little bit more family and friends around watching games definitely gives you that extra comfort level,” Pulisic says. “Having them, having some of the people that I love there watching, makes it even better.”

USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed the lofty ambition of making a semifinal run this summer, which would be a historic feat for a squad that has only ever advanced as far as the quarterfinal stage in the modern era of the World Cup, which they did over 20 years ago at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Pulisic, though, doesn’t want to get entangled by expectations; instead, focusing on performance day by day.

“You go into the World Cup, you dream about winning the World Cup,” he adds. “We want to go as far as we can, of course, but for me, there’s no point in setting expectations. All we can do is focus step by step, game by game, doing the best we can. The goal is to walk away with no regrets.”

Pulisic’s Relationship With His Teammates

USMNT celebration — At least 12 members of Mauricio Pochettino’s final roster will have featured in the 2022 World Cup. | Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images)

The USMNT is a close-knit group, something Pulisic is grateful for, with at least 12 members of Pochettino’s 2026 World Cup squad to have featured together at the 2022 edition.

Pulisic is especially close with fullbacks Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson, with whom he starred in Michelob ULTRA’s newest commercial campaign, which sees the trio instigate a scrimmage against Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Nicolás Paz Martínez in a hotel lobby for a bucket of beers, which is supposed to be delivered to the hotel room of Hollywood’s Billy Bob Thornton.

“I feel pretty close with a lot of my teammates. I’d say obviously Sergiño and definitely Antonee Robinson, having them around,” Pulisic says. “Antonee and I have definitely gotten close. We have been for a while.”

He and Robinson also enjoy playing chess together and messaging back and forth, their bond growing while both living in London a few years back—Robinson playing for Fulham, Pulisic with Chelsea.

Pulisic’s relationship with star striker Folarin Balogun has also flourished, with whom he most enjoys playing on the field. The Monaco standout has been an unstoppable force as of late, scoring 11 goals in his last 12 appearances across all competitions, making a compelling bid for the starting role up top this summer.

“It’s been a lot of fun to play with Balogun,” Pulisic says. “He’s a really talented player, a fun striker to play off of, and he’s a really skillful and creative player as well. Whenever I see him scoring, I love to follow along and just send him a message or whatever. It’s great to see him doing so well, so really looking forward to the summer.”

After the bout with Paraguay, the U.S. will clash with Australia and Türkiye. The top two teams from every group automatically advance, as well as eight third-place teams.

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