Christian Pulisic Breaks Silence After USMNT Decision

Christian Pulisic Breaks Silence After USMNT Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Wednesday marked exactly one year until the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

On Tuesday night, the United States Men's National Team suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Switzerland in the send-off match before the start of the CONCACAF Gold Cup — the final major tournament before the World Cup begins.

USMNT captain Christian Pulisic watched the four-goal defeat from home. He opted to sit out the Gold Cup this summer so he could get extra rest after a long season for AC Milan, a decision that brought plenty of criticism his way.

In his first public interview about his summer plans, Pulisic revealed that if he had his way, he would have been playing against Switzerland on Tuesday.

"I did want to be a part of at least the two friendlies," Pulisic said in an interview with former USMNT players Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola on Thursday. "I did speak with the coaches and I asked. I wanted to be part of the team in whatever capacity I could.

"They said no," Pulisic revealed of head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his national team staff. "They said they only wanted one roster and that’s coach’s decision. I fully respect that. I didn’t understand it, but it is what it is.”

🗣️ Christian Pulisic to @GolazoAmerica on his decision to sit out the June window:

"Obviously it sucks for me to miss out with the team, I wanna be part of the team always. But to be honest toward the 2nd half — toward the end of the season, my body just started talking to me… pic.twitter.com/zagvegJY7f— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) June 12, 2025

Pulisic, who has 32 goals and 18 assists in 76 appearances for the national team, emphasized that resting this summer was the best decision for him and the team in the long term, with an eye toward the 2026 World Cup on home soil.  

The 26-year-old spoke about several topics during the lengthy interview, including his response to the criticism about commitment from USMNT legend Landon Donovan, which Pulisic's dad called out on social media.

“To question my commitment, especially towards the national team, in my opinion that’s way out of line.” 🎙️🇺🇸

Christian Pulisic when asked about the criticism from former players like Landon Donovan.

(via @GolazoAmerica) pic.twitter.com/QsmZqrPUhd— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) June 12, 2025

"Some of these guys were my idols; I respect them so much as players," Pulisic admitted. "It's tough especially when privately the way they talk to me and want to show support and be your friend and everything, and then it goes and they say something slightly different publicly."

USMNT's first game of the Gold Cup is on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET against Trinidad and Tobago on Fox. The World Cup kicks off in 364 days.

Related: Christian Pulisic’s Girlfriend Sends Clear Message Amid USMNT Absence

Related: Christian Pulisic Turns Heads with Reaction to Criticism Amid USMNT Absence

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.