Christian Pulisic Shockingly Left Off Prestigious Soccer Rankings
Even after delivering his finest campaign to date, United States men's national team standout Christian Pulisic was omitted from The Guardian's Top 100 male soccer players of 2025.
The ranking, topped by Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal, highlights the sport's premier talents as a retrospective on the year. Numerous stars from Europe's elite five leagues, such as Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah, secured spots in the top 100, yet Pulisic was overlooked.
The 27-year-old failed to earn recognition despite his outstanding 2025 campaign. Pulisic began the year by guiding AC Milan to Italian Super Cup triumph, their first since 2016; he netted goals in both the semifinals and final to propel his squad to their sole trophy of the previous season.
The American maintained his scoring form for the Rossoneri throughout all competitions, registering 18 goals before the approaching holiday break. Combined with his seven assists, Pulisic currently boasts 25 goal contributions in 2025, attracting transfer speculation from Premier League clubs.
This figure surpasses what his teammate Rafael Leão achieved, yet the Portugal international earned inclusion on The Guardian's ranking. Antoine Griezmann also features despite his underwhelming performance for Atlético Madrid in 2025.
Pulisic Eyeing Strong End to 2025
A significant portion of Pulisic's 2025–26 campaign has been disrupted by injuries, though the USMNT skipper remains runner-up in the Serie A Golden Boot standings with seven goals. Inter forward Lautaro Martínez holds the lead with eight strikes.
Pulisic has one final opportunity to overtake his primary rival before 2026 arrives. Milan welcomes a faltering Hellas Verona squad on Dec. 28, presenting an ideal chance for the winger to find the net and help his team return to winning form.
The Rossoneri have secured just one victory in their previous four fixtures across all tournaments. Milan was eliminated from the Coppa Italia in the round of 16 by Lazio and subsequently lost to Napoli in the Italian Super Cup semifinals.
Additionally, Massimiliano Allegri's squad could only manage a 2–2 stalemate with Sassuolo in their most recent Serie A encounter, allowing Inter the opportunity to claim first place. Pulisic remained subdued in all three disappointing outcomes, placing pressure on the American to quickly recover and finish the year strongly.