Carli Lloyd Defends Her Stance on Christian Pulisic

Carli Lloyd is reaffirming her position regarding Christian Pulisic, a key player for the U.S. men’s national team. Following a disappointing World Cup performance, Lloyd expressed strong criticism of Pulisic, suggesting that he has nothing to apologize for.

“I don’t owe anyone an apology,” Lloyd stated. This came after it was disclosed that Pulisic sustained bone bruises and microfractures in his leg during a match that ended in a U.S. loss. “My remarks weren’t directed at his post-match interview. He skipped the Gold Cup last summer to rest for the World Cup, effectively taking a year off. That’s the reality. It’s not personal.”

She added, “When your playing days are done, it’s time to rest. That’s simply what it is,” commenting on Pulisic’s words after the U.S. faced Belgium in the Round of 16, where he mentioned he’d have time to rest.

Pulisic has been absent from the 2025 Gold Cup and missed several friendly matches leading up to this year’s World Cup. He has voiced his concerns about the demanding schedule, noting that breaks typically involve playing for the national team.

This isn’t the first time Lloyd has critiqued Pulisic; she shared her thoughts shortly after the U.S. suffered a 4-1 defeat. “Honestly, I felt a bit let down by Christian Pulisic,” she reflected on Fox after the game. “Even if he doesn’t want to be the team’s star, I don’t think we saw enough of him during the tournament.” She acknowledged there were moments of brilliance, but they were few and far between.

Pulisic encountered yet another injury in the 59th minute of that match and had to leave the field. He unintentionally collided with Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans while setting up for a shot. It was later revealed he had bone contusions and microfractures in his tibia and fibula.

This injury marks his second during the tournament, having also exited the opening match against Paraguay due to a calf issue, resulting in him missing the subsequent match against Australia.