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Christian Pulisic, the most prominent face of the U.S. men's national team, will be absent from Saturday's match in Orlando against Peru, despite having featured at the World Cup just months prior.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino chose to leave "Captain America" out of his 28-man roster for the extended two-week September–October international window, meaning Pulisic will also miss the subsequent three friendlies against Chile, Mexico, and Canada.
The fit 28-year-old attacker, widely considered one of the finest players in U.S. Soccer history and the active USMNT leader in both caps (90) and goals (33), will be left watching his teammates from home. So what's behind the decision?
Future Over Present, Present Over Past
In the aftermath of the 2026 home World Cup, Pochettino has repeatedly emphasized the need for a "fresh start" for the USMNT.
While the Stars and Stripes enjoyed an impressive run to the knockout rounds, they were ultimately eliminated in embarrassing fashion by Belgium in the round of 16 — the same hurdle that has tripped them up across multiple recent tournaments. A more drastic approach is needed to transform this team into genuine contenders, and Pochettino has four years to determine what that looks like.
What he is certain of, however, is that Pulisic is not part of the immediate answer. He conveyed a great deal while saying very little.
"After the World Cup, we started to change and to see and to analyze for the players, potential players for this camp," Pochettino said regarding Pulisic when unveiling his fall squad.
"Like always, I say, I think the 28 players that are going to be involved in these four games, for different circumstances, are the best players, or the players that we want to see, the ones to play that we want to work [with] and that's it."
For Pochettino, past achievements carry no weight. What matters is a player's current form and their potential going forward. Pulisic may have contributed significantly in years past — helping carve out an American identity in European football and shining at the 2022 World Cup, among other things — but his recent performances have been erratic at best, casting doubt over his future role.
"Everyone says, 'Oh, that name needs to be here because in the past, their performance could also go like this,'" Pochettino later added. "No, no, now it's a fresh start. It's a new start. Of course, all [players] have the door open, but now it's not what [he] did in the past. [There is] no 'I am [Folarin] Balogun and score lots of goals.' No 'I am Malik Tillman and was one of the best in the World Cup.'"
Pulisic managed just 45 minutes of impactful play this summer, accumulating more injuries (two) than goal contributions (one). It was a tournament where he desperately needed to deliver, having entered it off the back of a career-worst club campaign in the spring. He went 19 consecutive matches without scoring for AC Milan stretching back to 2025.
Upon returning to the Serie A club that fall, he found his starting spot had been taken. Despite being fit once more, he was an unused substitute in the first three games of the new season and came off the bench in the two that followed.
He finally broke into Milan's starting lineup for their most recent fixture, a 3–0 win over Lecce, delivering a commanding performance and netting the opening goal. However, whether Pulisic can hold onto his place in the XI or sustain that level of output remains uncertain. His recent track record suggests last week's display could be another isolated bright spot.
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Who Could Replace Pulisic?
Pulisic is not the only World Cup standout left off Pochettino's fall roster, with striker Folarin Balogun and midfielder Weston McKennie also notably absent. Just 13 players from the tournament squad received call-ups for this window.
Pochettino is far more focused on the young talents who could become key figures for the senior side by 2030. He brought in 12 uncapped players, eight of whom are teenagers, for the camp.
One teenager in particular is being touted as Pulisic's long-term successor: Cavan Sullivan. The 16-year-old sensation is also a winger and is on track to earn his first USMNT cap even younger than Pulisic, who debuted at 17 back in 2016.
Sullivan has rapidly emerged as a star over recent months thanks to his outstanding form with MLS club Philadelphia Union. He has registered six goals and eight assists across his last eight matches alone, shattering multiple league records along the way. The Union have gone unbeaten in 11 straight MLS games, with Sullivan's brilliance playing a central role in that run.