The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a little over a month away, and with all the hype surrounding the United States as one of the cohosts, it is a perfect opportunity for many of Mauricio Pochettino’s players — including star player Christian Pulisic — to get a taste of the spotlight.
To celebrate the World Cup coming to North America, Time magazine has placed the AC Milan forward on the cover of its May 25 edition with the headline “Captain America — Christian Pulisic Steps Onto Sport’s Biggest Stage,” as he poses wearing the red and white stripes of the USMNT’s new home jersey, over the iconic red and black stripes of Milan’s home kit.
In the interview, Pulisic talks about his path from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to his career in Europe playing for clubs Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Milan, as well as his World Cup ambitions. The publication calls him “the most influential American men’s soccer player in the country’s 250-year history.”
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Pulisic also reiterates his ambition to end his recent goal drought for club and country — 17 games and counting for the Rossoneri, and he hasn’t scored for the national team since November 2024.
“Going at the goal, creating attacking actions, for me, that’s why I play the game,” Pulisic said. “You obviously have to do all the other parts, defend and run, different things. That’s fine and all, but what gives me joy and excitement is creating ways to score and scoring goals and finishing them.”
When asked if Pulisic thinks his country can win the World Cup?
“Yeah,” Pulisic says. “That’s just not how I work, but I can sit in my bed at night and picture holding up the World Cup trophy. I did that as a kid. I’m not going to stop. You have to believe. Why not?”
The United States will look to go further than ever at the World Cup this summer, as it has not reached the quarterfinals since 2002, with its best performance a third-place finish in 1930. The Americans will be in Group D, where they will take on Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye.
