Former U.S. soccer star Landon Donovan didn't hold back his assessment of Christian Pulisic and the job he did during the 2026 World Cup.
Pulisic, who has earned the nickname "Captain America," had an underwhelming tournament this summer despite being considered the top player for the United States men's national team. The AC Milan winger finished the 2026 World Cup without scoring a single goal.
Unfortunately for Pulisic, he had arguably his worst performance in Monday's 4-1 loss to Belgium.
© Gary Vasquez-Imagn Images.
Donovan analyzed Pulisic's performance during this Tuesday's episode of his "Unfiltered Soccer" podcast. He suggested the best player on the USMNT is incapable of stepping up in the biggest moments.
"I’m starting to look back and … it’s more than just a trend now. It is," Donovan said, via Awful Announcing. "Like, when the games are easy, and it’s a home qualifier, and it’s Jamaica, yes. But in the big moments and the big games, he just hasn’t. … I’m just saying it factually. He is who he is at this point."
Donovan wasn't done critiquing Pulisic's subpar performance against Belgium.
"This was a game where you needed him to go, ‘Give me the ball, I’m gonna stick it in the back of the net, it’s 2-2, let’s go.’ And he just didn’t. And he wasn’t even close to it. And in fact … there’s reporting that he asked to get subbed out of the game. I can’t confirm that, so I don’t know if that’s true or not. But the reality is, he came out of a World Cup knockout game at home, with his leg still intact. Because … you would have had to [expletive] drag me off the field. And I would have punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field. Put whatever you need to put in me, and I’m staying on the field.'"
Another U.S. soccer legend called out Pulisic.
Carli Lloyd, who won two World Cup titles with the U.S. women's national team, was also critical of Pulisic's performance against Belgium.
“You wanted some of those big-time players to step up in big moments,” Lloyd said. “I gotta be honest, I was a bit disappointed with Christian Pulisic. Whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game and, really, the whole World Cup. Little glimpses here or there."
Pulisic should be on the U.S. roster when the 2030 World Cup arrives. Will he redeem himself and erase the negative narratives floating around him? Only time will tell.
