What Does the Future Hold for Christian Pulisic With the USMNT?

While the U.S. men’s national team put together a perfect September-October international break, Christian Pulisic was stuck at home watching it all play out from across the Atlantic Ocean.

Unlike in previous windows, the 28-year-old was not sidelined with an injury or fresh off a recent recovery. Pulisic was fully fit and ready to represent the Stars and Stripes in friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.

Except Mauricio Pochettino overlooked the AC Milan man, along with Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie. The Argentine boss instead put his trust in a wealth of young players, calling up eight teenagers and 13 total debutants for the first international window after the 2026 World Cup.

Four games and four wins later, no one is really even talking about Pulisic anymore, leaving the once-face of the team in complete purgatory.

A Damning Two Years for Pulisic

Christian Pulisic has scored two goals for the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino. | Getty Images

When Pochettino took over the USMNT in September 2024, Pulisic was the undisputed leader of the team. He was coming off a brilliant debut season at Milan and was one of few Americans to come out relatively unscathed from a disastrous Copa América campaign that summer.

Despite some injury hiccups, Pulisic got off to a strong start under Pochettino’s rule. The forward tallied one goal and two assists in three appearances to close out 2024, helping the Stars and Stripes advance to the 2024–25 Concacaf Nations League semifinals.

Once the calendar flipped to 2025, things took a sudden turn for the worst. More fitness concerns, along with two dreadful displays against Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League, saw Pulisic’s stock decrease drastically.

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Adding to the rapid decline was his decision to skip the Gold Cup to prioritize his rest and recovery ahead of the 2025–26 season. Pulisic was adamant about being in his best form for the approaching World Cup on home soil, but what soon followed was anything but.

The former Chelsea man tallied just one assist in his next six appearances for the USMNT, all while going through a career-worst goal drought at Milan in the second half of 2025–26. A goal against Senegal in a World Cup tune-up match finally broke the rotten run of form, only for Pulisic’s struggles to come right back during this summer’s showpiece event.

He only managed one assist in four appearances at the 2026 World Cup, providing the same amount of goal contributions as defender Auston Trusty. Pulisic was battling through injury at the tournament, but falling flat while the entire world—literally—watched was the exact last thing he needed after such a poor spell for the national team.

Pochettino Is Hardly to Blame

Mauricio Pochettino, Christian Pulisic — Mauricio Pochettino (left) and Christian Pulisic have previously clashed. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images

It would be easy to blame Pochettino for Pulisic’s lackluster production. After all, the Argentine’s predecessors got the most out of Pulisic, while he could only lead the Champions League winner to two goals in two years.

The surface-level argument is easily debunked, though, when looking at how Pochettino elevates his players in red, white and blue. The manager took a squad largely of unknown MLS players to the Gold Cup final. He got the absolute best out of Balogun up top this summer, as well as Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams and Freeman.

In the September-October international break, Pochettino saw Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall and Justin Ellis, three teenagers nowhere near the pedigree of Pulisic, score six of his team’s 12 goals. The Stars and Stripes also only conceded three goals across their four wins against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.

Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Sebastian Berhalter — New faces on the USMNT are taking center stage. | Patrick Mulligan/USSF/Getty Images

Of course, the strained relationship between Pochettino and Pulisic could be contributing to the forward’s poor form, but then what was Pulisic’s excuse last year with the Rossoneri? What was his excuse for the start of this season, when new Milan manager Ruben Amorim kept him on the bench for three straight games?

The USMNT is starting a new era, one that is spearheaded by young, exciting, passionate players, ready to give everything for the badge on their chests. It doesn’t matter if it’s a friendly or the Gold Cup or the World Cup; the new crop of talent at Pochettino’s disposal, combined with veterans like Adams and Chris Richards, want to play every second possible for the national team.

Pulisic might want the same despite his previous reluctance, but the decision is no longer his, especially after the team put together four convincing victories without him logging a single minute.

What Comes Next for Pulisic With the USMNT?

Despite the USMNT’s top form this international break, it would be a major—and dramatic—leap to say this is the end of Pulisic’s time in red, white and blue. The 28-year-old is only 10 caps away from hitting the century-mark with the Stars and Stripes and is the team’s fifth all-time leading goalscorer with 33 goals to his name.

There will come a time, perhaps as early as the November international break, where Pulisic suits up again for his country. But things have changed.

Pulisic’s name and past performances are no longer enough to guarantee himself a place in Pochettino’s XI. In all actuality, its many of those past performances working against him. The production is simply not there at the moment, and when others can provide better creativity or finishing in the final third, it’s an easy decision for Pochettino to overlook the 28-year-old.

Pulisic needs to fight his way back into contention and make it so Pochettino has no choice but to call him up and give him minutes. Should the Pennsylvania-native put his head down and return to scoring ways, he will glide back into the USMNT lineup and elevate an already dangerous team.

But the pressure is all on Pulisic to perform. With Sullivan and Hall both capable of playing at left wing, the player called “Captain America” has more competition for his spot than ever before.

It’s hard to imagine Pulisic being in the position he currently finds himself in after such a prolific rise with the USMNT, but his future is entirely in his hands ... or rather, his right foot.

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