United States males’s nationwide staff head coach Mauricio Pochettino stated Christian Pulisic must be the Lionel Messi of the U.S. as a consequence of his expertise and recognizability.
“I feel Christian within the final yr confirmed an important high quality. He is performing in Europe, additionally he is performing with the nationwide staff. He is a really gifted participant that may assist us to win,” Pochettino stated when talking on the “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast with former USMNT standouts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.
“You say folks examine Messi with Christian Pulisic. I do not wish to be disrespectful to Messi or Pulisic, however I feel on this nation, Pulisic must be our Messi, as a result of he is an iconic participant, the children on the road for certain should you ask one soccer participant on this nation, it is Pulisic.”
Pulisic, 26, stands as an integral a part of the USMNT, recording 32 objectives and 18 assists in 76 appearances since making his senior staff debut in March 2016. He is taken the position of captain on a number of events, and led the staff to the 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League trophies.
At membership degree, Pulisic has represented Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now AC Milan. He’s coming off statistically probably the most profitable membership season of his profession with 17 objectives and 12 assists in all competitions.
Regardless of the energetic position he performs on the squad, Pulisic determined, at the side of the U.S. Soccer Federation, to not be a part of the USMNT for 2 June friendlies and the Gold Cup after a grueling season in Europe. Pochettino defended Pulisic’s resolution to look at from the sidelines, confirming the 2 communicated earlier than the choice was made public.
“Christian is a really good man, may be very dedicated to the nationwide staff and he desires to assist and naturally is determined to play within the [2026] World Cup and arrive in the most effective situation,” Pochettino stated.
“All these conversations that we have been taking with the gamers, I feel that was the most effective resolution to assist him as a result of each participant are in numerous circumstances.”
Pulisic stands among the many listing of skilled USMNT gamers that won’t characteristic within the 2025 Gold Cup, together with Antonee Robinson, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna and Yunus Musah.
Regardless of these absences, Pochettino emphasised that each American participant ought to desperately wish to play for the nationwide staff.
“The folks have to prioritize the nationwide staff,” Pochettino stated. “We have been speaking about Argentine gamers, or Brazilian gamers or English gamers or Spanish gamers, they’re determined. Even Messi, even Neymar, even [Kylian] Mbappé for France, these guys are determined to go to the nationwide staff.
“For them, once they go, they do not see if it is a pleasant recreation, if it is an official recreation, it is a World Cup, it would not matter, as a result of the chance to defend one time extra your flag, your shirt. It is about to really feel proud. And that’s the duty to us to translate.”
The USMNT will face Turkey and Switzerland in friendlies earlier than taking over Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Saudi Arabia in Group D of the Concacaf Gold Cup.