Pulisic confident – Christian Pulisic is heading into the U.S.’s final warmups with Senegal and Germany still searching for his first goal in months, but he believes a breakthrough is coming at the World Cup. After a career-worst scoreless spell that followed strong early form fo
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Christian Pulisic has lived through the silence before, and he’s ready for the moment he thinks will break the spell.
A day before the U.S. faces Senegal in its next-to-last warmup match, the 27-year-old attacker described how goals can suddenly start finding him again. “I’ve had this happen before in my career,” he said Saturday. “There’s difficult times and then sometimes one will bounce off your knee and go in and then it seems like everything goes in after that.”.
It’s a tough line to walk. Pulisic scored 10 goals in his first 15 matches for AC Milan this season, but went scoreless in 19 games after Dec. 28. With the U.S., he has gone eight matches without finding the net since November 2024, putting the focus less on his talent than on timing.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino made that confidence explicit. “He is going to score in World Cup. Yes, I really trust in that,” Pochettino said. “He has very good attitude, very good commitment. He’s trying so hard to get his best level and I think he will achieve it for sure.”
For Pulisic, the belief is tied to what he’s already done on the biggest stage. He has 32 goals in 84 international appearances, and his strike in the 1-0 win over Iran at the 2022 World Cup helped push the Americans into the round of 16.
He also brings the most international experience among the 26 players on the U.S. roster. There’s another layer to that resume: Pulisic is the lone holdover from the group that played in the 2017 loss at Trinidad and Tobago. a defeat that ended the Americans’ streak of seven straight World Cup appearances. Thirteen players return from the 2022 roster, but Pulisic remains the link to the journey that brought them back.
“Guys have just gotten a lot more experience at club level, international level,” Pulisic said. “Going through that World Cup as a team. going through the really good performances and getting through the group and then having a tough loss against a big team. it all helps you grow. It all helps you learn.”.
At the 2022 World Cup, Pulisic was injured while scoring against Iran, then returned for the 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16. Even with the memory of pain, he leaned into the idea that the next tournament will feel different.
“Most of the guys are going to go into this World Cup a lot — yeah, just a bit more relaxed, ready for these big moments,” he said. “Every game and every big moment just feels just a little bit easier and you feel a little more comfortable going into it.”
That matters now, because Pulisic’s recent run has come with noise of its own. Milan finished the Serie A season with two wins in its last eight games. and the team wasted a lead on the final day while missing Champions League qualification. Massimiliano Allegri and CEO Giorgio Furlani were fired. Pulisic didn’t look for excuses.
“I don’t try to place blame or figure out the problems,” he said. “There are moments where I could have done a lot better and it was a difficult time for our team. It was a difficult time for me, and that’s what it comes down to. I haven’t changed the way I train. the way that I prepare. the way that I continue to move forward and try to improve every day. I’m still doing that every day and that’s why I can keep my head high. Obviously, I’m disappointed but now I have to look forward on what’s in front of me.”.
Sunday’s game against 14th-ranked Senegal and a June 6 friendly against No. 10 Germany will be the last prep matches for the 16th-ranked Americans before their World Cup opener against No. 40 Paraguay on June 12. Defender Chris Richards, recovering from two torn ankle ligaments, won’t play Sunday.
Pulisic expects rotation and experimentation as the coaching staff searches for rhythm. “I’m sure we’re going to test a couple things, move some guys around,” he said. “Maybe it won’t look exactly as it will in the games.”
The U.S. last gathered in March, when it lost 5-2 to Belgium and 2-0 to Portugal. Against Senegal and then Germany, Pulisic framed the opportunity in practical terms: build coherence, then step into the tournament feeling ready.
“Just getting a little bit of rhythm and a good feeling with the team going into the tournament,” Pulisic said. “These are two really strong opponents, so we have a great opportunity to test ourselves going into the World Cup. Obviously, we want to get good results, but most importantly, just feeling confident.”.
Christian Pulisic United States Senegal Germany World Cup AC Milan Mauricio Pochettino Chris Richards Paraguay warmup matches