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If the U.S. men's national team hopes to make a deep run at the 2026 World Cup, it will need its most important player to deliver — but "Captain America" Christian Pulisic is enduring the worst stretch of form in his career heading into the tournament.
On Sunday, Pulisic went without a goal for the 16th straight match with AC Milan, as the Rossoneri were held to a goalless draw against Serie A rivals Juventus and U.S. teammate Weston McKennie, who was equally unable to get on the scoresheet.
Substituted off in the 60th minute, Pulisic's disappointment was plain to see.
"Christian is a very sensitive person, and this dry spell is weighing on him heavily," Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri told DAZN after the match. "He also tends to struggle more with the physical demands of duels and the absence of a center forward, but I need to find the right balance for this team, as we have a goal to accomplish."
"I understand this setup doesn't fully suit him. I had asked him to play center-right tonight and [Rafael] Leao at center-left, so we were without a center-forward...Rest assured, by the end of the season, Pulisic will have made his mark."
Although the USMNT has recently used a formation featuring a traditional center forward, Pulisic's current form remains a worry. Going 16 games without scoring for Milan sets a personal record for the 27-year-old, equaling his previous career-worst run during his time at Chelsea in the 2022-23 Premier League season. At the international level, he has also gone eight consecutive games without a goal, a streak that stretches back to 2024.
With Milan now sitting third in the Serie A standings, Pulisic has just four matches remaining before the World Cup to rediscover his scoring touch, having managed only a single assist despite consistent starts throughout the 16-game run dating back to December.
Pochettino, Dempsey Voice Support
While USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino prioritizes national team performances over club form, the Argentine manager is still aware of the troubling signs surrounding Pulisic.
Pulisic turned in two lackluster showings during the March friendly defeats to Belgium and Portugal, leading Pochettino to indirectly suggest that Pulisic does not rank among the world's elite players.
"We are USA," Pochettino remarked following the 2–0 defeat to Portugal. "We are competing against Belgium and Portugal. I think for sure Belgium and Portugal have in the top 100 players, a few or some, players playing in that top 100. I think we don't have. That is why it's good to play against these types of teams."
Yet for Clint Dempsey, the iconic former forward widely regarded as the greatest goalscorer in U.S. men's soccer history, Pulisic's current struggles are nothing to panic over.
"Obviously, if he ever wants to talk, it's an open door for me, but he's a top professional, and that's what you go through. You go through these ups and downs," Dempsey, the U.S. men's joint all-time leading scorer, tells Sports Illustrated. "It's a roller coaster, this game, and sometimes it can drive you crazy, but all you need sometimes is that assist or that next goal to get you riding the wave again.
"He has the quality of someone who can turn it on at any moment."
Should Pulisic find his best form, it would dramatically boost the USMNT's prospects of a lengthy run on the world stage this summer, as his contributions would only complement the recently strong performances of McKennie, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, among others.
The USMNT will announce its World Cup squad on May 26 at an event in New York, before facing pre-tournament friendlies against Germany and Senegal. The team will open Group D play against Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye starting June 12.