Pochettino: Pulisic should be the Messi of the U.S.

United States men's nationalist squad caput manager Mauricio Pochettino said Christian Pulisic should beryllium the Lionel Messi of the U.S. owed to his endowment and recognizability.

"I deliberation Christian successful the past twelvemonth showed a large quality. He's performing successful Europe, besides he's performing with the nationalist team. He's a precise talented subordinate that tin assistance america to win," Pochettino said erstwhile speaking connected the "Unfiltered Soccer" podcast with erstwhile USMNT standouts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.

"You accidental radical comparison Messi with Christian Pulisic. I don't privation to beryllium disrespectful to Messi oregon Pulisic, but I deliberation successful this country, Pulisic should beryllium our Messi, due to the fact that he's an iconic player, the kids connected the thoroughfare for definite if you inquire 1 shot subordinate successful this country, it's Pulisic."

Pulisic, 26, stands arsenic an integral portion of the USMNT, signaling 32 goals and 18 assists successful 76 appearances since making his elder squad debut successful March 2016. He's taken the relation of skipper connected aggregate occasions, and led the squad to the 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League trophies.

At nine level, Pulisic has represented Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and present AC Milan. He is coming disconnected statistically the astir palmy nine play of his vocation with 17 goals and 12 assists successful each competitions.

Despite the progressive relation helium plays connected the squad, Pulisic decided, successful conjunction with the U.S. Soccer Federation, not to articulation the USMNT for 2 June friendlies and the Gold Cup aft a grueling play successful Europe. Pochettino defended Pulisic's determination to ticker from the sidelines, confirming the 2 communicated earlier the determination was made public.

"Christian is simply a precise bully guy, is precise committed to the nationalist squad and helium wants to assistance and of people is hopeless to play successful the [2026] World Cup and get successful the champion condition," Pochettino said.

"All these conversations that we were taking with the players, I deliberation that was the champion determination to assistance him due to the fact that each subordinate are successful antithetic circumstances."

Pulisic stands among the database of experienced USMNT players that volition not diagnostic successful the 2025 Gold Cup, including Antonee Robinson, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna and Yunus Musah.

Despite those absences, Pochettino emphasized that each American subordinate should desperately privation to play for the nationalist team.

"The radical request to prioritize the nationalist team," Pochettino said. "We were talking astir Argentine players, oregon Brazilian players oregon English players oregon Spanish players, they are desperate. Even Messi, adjacent Neymar, adjacent [Kylian] Mbappé for France, these guys are hopeless to spell to the nationalist team.

"For them, erstwhile they go, they don't spot if it's a affable game, if it's an authoritative game, it's a World Cup, it doesn't matter, due to the fact that the anticipation to support 1 clip much your flag, your shirt. It's astir to consciousness proud. And that is the work to america to translate."

The USMNT volition look Turkey and Switzerland successful friendlies earlier taking connected Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Saudi Arabia successful Group D of the Concacaf Gold Cup.