Christian Pulisic said that he asked the US national team coaching staff to be part of the two friendlies preceding the Gold Cup but not the tournament itself – a proposal that was rejected – and defended his decision to step away from the squad this summer.
In an appearance on a live stream of CBS Sports’ Call it What You Want podcast on Thursday, Pulisic discussed his season with Milan, the second straight campaign that saw him play in 50 games. Towards the end of the season he said “my body started talking to me,” and he began to consider the need for rest.
“What is going to be best for me leading into next year and going into the [2026] World Cup? And was that to play eight more games and then get no rest at all, go straight into preseason and then grind another year and go straight into the World Cup? That’s not what I felt was best for my body,” Pulisic said. “I did want to be a part of at least the two friendlies [against Switzerland and Turkey]. I did speak with the [US] coaches, and I asked, and [said] I wanted to be a part of the team in whatever capacity I could. And they said no. They said they only wanted one roster … I fully respect that. I didn’t understand it, but it is what it is.”
As it turned out, Pulisic was just one of a number of USMNT stars who will miss this summer’s schedule, either due to injury, Club World Cup commitments, or personal reasons. But as his nation’s most prominent player and a leader in the locker room, Pulisic’s decision drew criticism, including from former USMNT greats Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.
Pulisic addressed this criticism on Thursday, saying that questioning his commitment to the national team was “way out of line” and does not line up with conversations he has had with those same figures in private.
“When it comes to [Donovan, Howard, and other ex-national team critics], it is tough because I looked up to those guys growing up. Some of these guys were my idols, and I respect them so much as players,” Pulisic said. “Privately, the way they talk to me and clearly want to show support and be your friend and everything, and then they say something slightly different publicly. … Does it hurt me? Am I surprised by it? I don’t know. Not really. People are always going to have their opinions.”
Pulisic’s father, Mark, responded forcefully to Donovan on social media earlier this week, telling the former US player to “grow a pair” while pointing out that Donovan himself once took an extended sabbatical from national team duty.
In the CBS interview, Christian Pulisic was not asked about his father’s comments, but added that “I just don’t understand why so many people are so big on just wanting to give out these takes when they’ve been through tough moments themselves. I don’t understand the idea of wanting to divide this fanbase against the players, against the team, and bring in a negative light over it in any way. But we tend to do that a lot, and it doesn’t make sense to me.”
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The US have struggled in their summer slate so far, losing 2-1 to Turkey before being battered 4-0 by Switzerland with a roster that reaches fairly deep into the US player pool. These losses followed a poor Nations League performance that involved Pulisic and most of the team’s top players, in which the team lost to Canada and Panama en route to a fourth-placed finish. Pulisic said criticism of himself and the players’ supposed lack of commitment in these losses was a “lazy take.”
“We don’t step out there and not give 100% … it’s not something that we do,” he said. “We we all want it so bad.”
