Christian Pulisic is facing ongoing criticism following the U.S. Men’s National Team’s disappointing 4-1 defeat to Belgium, which knocked them out of the World Cup in the Round of 16.
Voices from the soccer community, including former stars like Taylor Twellman, Landon Donovan, and Carli Lloyd, have expressed their frustrations. Twellman, who boasts 30 caps for the USMNT and is now an analyst for Apple TV MLS, shared his thoughts on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
“Look, Christian is a talented player, and I mean, he’ll always be in the discussions about the best,” Twellman remarked. However, he pointed out that Pulisic had not contributed any goals from January until the tournament, despite having been a key player in Serie A up until that point. “From July 27, 2025, to January 1, 2026, he ranked second in goal contributions, and then it was as if he lost his touch,” he added.
Pulisic didn’t net any goals for the national team throughout the tournament, which was affected by injuries. Twellman wasn’t entirely shocked by his performance, stating, “A player like him can also set up goals. He’s not solely a scorer. It’s important for the public to recognize that he’s a playmaker with unique skills.” Yet, he noted the lack of contributions leading into the World Cup, hinting that anyone surprised by Pulisic’s struggles hadn’t been paying close attention.
Despite the criticism directed at individual players, Twellman insisted that the overall team performance was lacking. “There’s no one culprit. The entire team fell short against Belgium, and it wasn’t solely Pulisic’s lack of impact in the offensive third.”
On a related note, Pulisic revealed that he suffered a bone bruise in his right foot and a microfracture in his tibia/fibula during the tournament.
Reflecting on the experience, he shared on Instagram, “Finding the right words is difficult. I’m grateful for everyone who supported us. It pushed us to give our best. We aimed to achieve more but fell short. Being part of this team has been incredible, and I’ll cherish the memories of this summer. This is just the beginning for our sport in America.”
Now, it will be a long wait—four years—before the USMNT takes the field again at the 2030 World Cup.
