Pulisic Must Step Up and Dominate for a Full 90 Minutes at the World Cup—And He's Well Aware

Christian Pulisic is a figure in U.S. soccer who commands a uniquely passionate following.

During every World Cup match he played on home turf this summer, the crowd buzzed with extra energy whenever the No. 10 touched the ball. Among the waves of red and white stripes pouring into stadiums along the west coast, the only club shirt appearing with any real regularity was Pulisic's AC Milan jersey.

In the parking area outside Levi's Stadium ahead of the USMNT's round of 32 showdown with Bosnia and Herzegovina, vendors could barely keep pace with demand for tattoo arm sleeves replicating Pulisic's ink. The fact that stadium security confiscated them just 20 feet away did little to discourage buyers.

One supporter, John, managed to sneak his souvenir contraband inside and eagerly recounted his transatlantic journey to Milan back in October to witness Pulisic's tattoos and talent up close. Ironically, Pulisic was injured and never took the field.

Much to John's and his fellow fans' frustration, Pulisic appeared to be performing through pain for the bulk of an ultimately disappointing World Cup. The tournament's marquee figure for the co-host nation — a player whose name appeared in at least three times the font size of "United States" in Fox's domestic broadcast — showed his true capabilities for no more than 45 minutes.

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The version of Pulisic who dominated the opening half of the USMNT's group opener against Paraguay was the closest he has come to fulfilling the enormous expectations placed on his shoulders. The dynamic winger charged at goal at every opportunity, provoking Damián Bobadilla's own goal to open the scoring before setting up Folarin Balogun to make it two around the half-hour mark.

Pulisic tormented Juan Cáceres so relentlessly that you half expected the Paraguayan right back to still be stumbling around the SoFi Stadium pitch at halftime, like the last bag circling an airport carousel. Instead, it was the American forward who was sidelined during the break, picking up a calf injury that restricted the rest of his group-stage contribution to a brief second-half appearance in the dead rubber against Türkiye.

Bosnia and Herzegovina were left unbothered by Pulisic in the first knockout round, and Belgium right back Timothy Castagne could easily have glided through the round of 16 without even noticing his presence.

In a harsh yet fitting conclusion to his tournament, Pulisic was substituted off with an ankle injury before the hour mark in Seattle. Whether it was physical agony or the emotional toll of the summer's events, the U.S. star ended the evening in tears.

'Not Good Enough'—Pulisic Sends Emotional Message After World Cup Exit

Pulisic was visibly emotional in the mixed zone at Lumen Field after the USMNT's elimination was confirmed by Belgium on Monday, barely able to find words after a dream summer came to a nightmarish end.

After two more days to reflect on the painful exit and his part in it, Pulisic turned to Instagram on Wednesday. "Tough to find the words," he wrote.

"I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who believed. The support carried us all the way through. It simply wasn't good enough from us in the end and I wanted to deliver so much more. I still feel blessed to be a part of this team. The memories this summer will last a lifetime.

At just 27, Pulisic is expected to remain a central figure in the U.S. setup for the 2030 World Cup, should they qualify. The Milan forward acknowledged he was already eager to be "back with the national team" following the Belgium defeat. If he chooses to heed the counsel of some fellow Americans, Pulisic could channel this setback into something meaningful.

'People Are Fed Up'—Pulisic Sent Advice by USMNT Legend

Landon Donovan knows all too well the burden of being America's most prominent soccer star at a deflating World Cup. "I have been in his shoes," the retired forward reflected on his podcast Unfiltered Soccer, recalling the group-stage exit in 2006. "I know the feeling. The feeling is identical."

Donovan's counsel had little to do with Pulisic's on-field performance; instead, the 44-year-old urged his fellow American to examine his conduct and relationships away from the game.

"People are fed up with the way things are handled around him," Donovan stated, citing accounts from U.S. Soccer staff, Pulisic's sponsors, and his teammates.

"It's not necessarily him, but it's his agents, his family, his hangers-on, the people who are influencing," Donovan said. "People are fed up with it. They treat people poorly. They do things poorly. It's always a 'no' whenever you wanna ask, 'Can we do an interview?' It's always a, 'No, you can't get near him.'

"He doesn't say, 'Hi,' to the commentators who do all the games all the time when they walk by. All the other guys come over and shake hands and say, 'Hello.'

"There's just this sense about him that you can't get near him. And I actually don't think it's from him. I think it's from the people around him. They need to stop, and he needs to man up and have a conversation with them and say, 'Look guys, this is not helping me.'"

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Donovan referenced his own period of self-reflection, which ultimately led him to seek therapy. "It led me to take a look at my life and my career honestly for the first time," he shared. "It allowed me to have massive, important conversations with people I love in my life about all things, not just soccer, and it changed my life forever, in a positive way."

After such a deflating conclusion to his summer, Pulisic is undoubtedly in need of a positive turning point.