Is Christian Pulisic the Best Player for the USMNT?
Christian Pulisic continues to fuel the debate over whether he’s the best American player, with standout performances that showcase his skill, vision, and growing leadership on the international stage.

Captain America, some call him. Christian Pulisic is currently the biggest star for the USMNT. He’s received international acclaim for his work with top clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, and now AC Milan. He’s still only 26, but he has the world—or at least the United States—at his feet. Can he become the country’s best player ever? While that question lingers, it’s essential to learn about sports betting terms if you’re planning to make predictions on his career or the USMNT’s future success.
Pulisic is great for Milan, but he hasn’t won much
It’s easy for pro-American sources to hype up Christian Pulisic, and they are all too eager to erase the fact that since joining AC Milan, he’s won…very little. The Supercoppa Italiana, a glorified set of friendlies held in Saudi Arabia, isn’t the trophy that any young footballer dreams of winning, especially not one who grew up in Pennsylvania.
Yes, he’s been named to the Serie A team of the season and won the AC Milan gentleman award, but despite his creative performances at the San Siro, has he helped AC Milan win more silverware? No. Without this, it’s hard to see how Pulisic can become the most outstanding American footballer ever, maybe for the USMNT exclusively, but not as a whole.
The club and players need the Coppa Italia
AC Milan has one chance left at silverware this season: the Coppa Italia. The team was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League and sits ninth in the Serie A standings. This is an aberration for a club like AC Milan, which is used to competing and winning trophies on both international and Italian apexes. Moreover, it is an aberration for Pulisic, a player who often cites that he won the European accolade. If he doesn’t get his hands on silverware this season, he may leave the club for a better place to win trophies.
Is the USMNT any good?
The United States has seldom competed on the world stage in soccer terms. The best result came in the 2002 tournament when the team reached the quarter-final stage. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, there was excitement as the nation had more superstars than ever – yet they were knocked out after limping through the group stage and then losing haplessly to the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
The team has won very few matches in the past year. More recently, during the March 2025 international break, the USMNT lost to Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League, ensuring that the US finished fourth in that mini-tournament.
So, does being the best player of the USMNT mean anything? It’s not like being the best team in the England, Argentina, or France squad. Christian Pulisic might be the best of the current crop, but is the group good?
What will be considered a success for the USMNT in 2026?
When the World Cup is held in the United States (and technically in Canada and Mexico) next year, what can US Soccer and the supporters see as a realistic success? And how does Christian Pulisic play with the USMNT?
The glaring issue is that Pulisic doesn’t get on with USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentinian manager has often cited not being impressed with the AC Milan players’ performances while on international duty.
Getting out of the group stage? Being knocked at the Round of 16 on penalties? If Pulisic is to cement his place as a top American in soccer, he needs to help the team do better than the team did back in 2002. Does Pulisic realistically have enough quality to lead this type of transitional change?
Comparison to the past: Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan’s playing career is unparalleled, mainly for an American in his era. He was the US attacker who captured European attention, the six-time MLS Cup winner, who spent time with Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and two loan spells with Everton.
Christian Pulisic hasn’t won a single MLS title, partly because he has never played in Major League Soccer. As such, he’s not as connected to the US fanbase. Unlike Donovan, who became a league legend with the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy, they’ve seldom seen him play.
Chelsea fans and Pulisic loyalists will remark that he won the UEFA Champions League with the London club during a bizarre 2020-21 season played mainly behind closed doors. Sure, Donovan never won a trophy overseas – but he never had to rely on a global pandemic to win the MLS Cup, either.