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Jeff Carlisle
Multiple Authors
MARIETTA, Ga. — United States star Christian Pulisic acknowledged that he is feeling the weight of expectations as the home World Cup draws near, but he assures, “it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Pulisic, an attacker for AC Milan, and the rest of the USMNT are gearing up for friendly matches against Belgium on Saturday and Portugal three days later. The team won’t regroup until May after the World Cup roster has been finalized by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
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The U.S. will kick off the World Cup, which it is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California.
Pulisic remarked at Friday’s news conference, “I mean, you guys [in the media] want me to feel the pressure, that’s for sure. There’s pressure. It’s a World Cup.” He added, “It’s not just my position in the team or anything; I’m accustomed to this. I wouldn’t want to be in any other place. I consider myself lucky, privileged to be here. There is pressure, and I feel it.”
“Yes, it’s present, but it’s nothing I can’t manage. I’m ready to tackle it head-on as a team. I don’t have to face it alone. That’s the great part about it. I have support from guys like [Weston McKennie], my entire team, the coaching staff, and a country full of fans, and I’ll do my best—that’s all I can do.”
As the longstanding face of the USMNT, Pulisic is expected to lead the U.S. on a significant journey during this summer’s tournament. Historically, the U.S. has only advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup, which remains its best performance since the inaugural tournament in 1930.
At 27, Pulisic indicated that such expectations do not intimidate him. “At this stage in my career, I’m quite used to this kind of scrutiny. I’ve largely ignored social media—deleted most of it from my phone. It’s relatively easy to block out. There will always be pressures,” he explained.
“You, the media, might perceive there to be more pressure than there is because you witness it and read about it, but honestly, I tend to be oblivious to it.”
Pulisic emphasized that his own high standards contribute to the pressure he feels, stating, “I set high expectations for myself. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves in terms of performance, reflecting on the work we put in—we expect a lot from ourselves. Our focus remains on what really matters: the people who impact us directly. That’s all we can do.”