As the U.S. Men`s National Team finalizes preparations for the Concacaf Gold Cup, significant attention is focused on a key player who is not with the squad: Christian Pulisic.
The attacking midfielder was excluded from the USMNT roster for recent pre-Gold Cup friendlies and the tournament itself. This was a mutual decision made by Pulisic and the national team staff, taking into account his demanding schedule. The AC Milan star played 57 matches for club and country during the 2024-25 season and requested time off to recover. This summer marks his last opportunity for substantial rest before the next club season and the build-up to the 2026 World Cup.
While most observers had accepted this decision in the weeks following its announcement, former USMNT standout Landon Donovan publicly expressed his disapproval over the weekend. This sparked a dispute between Donovan and Pulisic`s father, Mark. The incident has since become a major topic of discussion within the American soccer community, amplified on social media, creating a notable distraction for the U.S. team as they approach a year out from co-hosting the World Cup.
Why Pulisic Skipped the Gold Cup
Pulisic`s intended absence from the summer competition was announced on May 22, alongside the roster for the friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland. He was among several prominent USMNT players not included, each for distinct reasons. For instance, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, and Gio Reyna were involved with the FIFA Club World Cup, Antonee Robinson was recovering from minor knee surgery, and Yunus Musah was out for personal reasons.
U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker clarified Pulisic`s exclusion that day, describing it as a joint decision based on his heavy workload. Pulisic has accumulated 100 appearances and over 7,000 minutes for AC Milan over the past two seasons, in addition to 14 national team appearances in 2024 and 2025, including last summer`s Copa America.
“Christian and his team approached the federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break,” Crocker stated. “After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”
The national team coaching staff echoed this sentiment, signaling full support for Pulisic`s decision with the World Cup a year away.
The coach stated, “We all had a conversation between each other, and I think the best decision in this case is what is going to happen, which is to give rest. Many people can say it’s really important for us to all be together for the last time before the World Cup, but as a coaching staff, we always listen to the player and then, of course, we take the decision. We have our own ideas about everything. But I think after the consideration about Christian, we decided the best for him, the best for the national team is the decision that we made.”
Landon Donovan`s Critical Comments
On June 8, during Fox Sports` broadcast of the UEFA Nations League final, Donovan contrasted Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo`s dedication with the apparent lack thereof from some USMNT players. While he didn`t explicitly name anyone, his remarks were widely interpreted as being aimed at Pulisic.
“This is what it means to represent your country,” Donovan commented. “This is what it means. And if you don’t want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don’t come in. This is what it means. [Ronaldo’s] 40 years old. He’s played a long ass season. He’s tired. He’s out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can’t help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s pissing me off.”
Mark Pulisic Responds Defensively
Shortly after Donovan`s comments, Pulisic`s father, Mark, posted a response on Instagram. He shared a screenshot from ChatGPT, where he had asked the chatbot why Donovan took a sabbatical from 2012 to 2013. The AI`s response explained that Donovan felt physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and pressure, needing time off to recover and reset.
Mark Pulisic expanded on this in his caption, writing, “This guy is talking about commitment. Look in the mirror + grow a pair and call names out, or are you afraid? Next time you want an interview, you will get rejected again.”
Christian Pulisic showed his support for his father`s stance by liking the post. He later shared a picture of himself relaxing with loved ones on social media, captioned, “Just what the Dr. ordered.”
Reactions from the U.S. Soccer Community
Donovan`s remarks quickly became a point of contention within the American soccer community, with many notable figures weighing in, often disagreeing with the retired star. Eddie Johnson, who was Donovan`s teammate at the 2006 World Cup, was particularly critical in an Instagram comment.
“We can’t question this man’s love for representing his country,” Johnson stated. “If you know CP, that kid wants to play every chance he can play … CP has more wear and tear on his body at a younger age … A career in MLS can’t compare to the workload and travel of a player whose entire career was in Europe and has to travel from abroad to the states for friendlies and qualifiers. You just can’t compare…”
Clint Dempsey, another player with extensive European experience, discussed the challenges of transatlantic travel for national team duty on his podcast, The Deuce.
“In terms of [Pulisic’s] situation, I can’t say what it is, I don’t know the ins and outs of it,” Dempsey said. “But in terms of my situation, when I played in Europe and came back, there were times where I was tired. I had to get a PRP injection in my adductor. I had to maybe rest for some of the friendly games so that I could be fit to play in the tournaments. Whether it was Gold Cup, whether it was Copa [America], whether it was Confederations Cup, whether it was the World Cup. Like, I wasn’t gonna miss competitions. That’s just the kind of guy that I always was. So, for me, I don’t understand it because that wasn’t my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games.”
He also subtly criticized Donovan`s sabbatical over a decade ago using an analogy:
“The analogy I use is you have the opportunity to go plant the crops, harvest the crops, and then you’re sitting at the table, it’s time to eat, and you’re showing up when it’s time to eat. It’s kind of like, ‘Where were you when we were grinding in the sun, putting that stuff out there, the away games, your back against the wall?’” Dempsey commented. While acknowledging he didn`t know Donovan`s specific circumstances, he added, “but to build your teammates’ trust and all that, you’ve got to go through the wars with them, the battles with them. You’ve got to be able to look and say, ‘Hey, they’re not going to flake on you. When your back’s against the wall and you need to win, they’re going to be right there with you.’ So I can’t say what their situations were, but that’s how I looked at that.”
Pulisic`s Teammates Offer Support
It`s not just former USMNT players who have reacted; Pulisic`s current teammates have also publicly backed him. They have spoken about their shared experiences during a challenging period for the national team.
“None of us take for granted that we get to represent a national team because it’s one of the biggest honors that we can have in the sport of football,” Weston McKennie told USA Today. “Any chance that we get, we want to play. But obviously, if you don’t feel like your body is in the right condition, and you don’t feel like your body is in the best form or shape or whatever, to be able to do that at 100%, and you feel like you’re risking injury, then it’s better to let someone else go in that is completely 100%.”
Tyler Adams, meanwhile, characterized the controversy as “noise,” stating that he and the other players on the Gold Cup roster are focused on their preparation for the upcoming tournament.
“We don’t talk about that internally as a group,” Adams said in an interview with the Associated Press. “The noise on the outside is the noise on the outside. I think we need to focus on what we need to do as a group and continue to build.”
