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With the United States set for their World Cup opener on Friday, what exactly will be required of star forward Christian Pulisic to make an impact this summer?
Expect him to let his playing speak for itself.
“Christian Pulisic will never be the personality that people want him to be, the leader that people want him to be. He’s going to lead by example,” FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas told Colin Cowherd on Monday’s edition of “The Herd.”
After a narrow 2-1 loss to Germany in the final warm-up match before the World Cup, Lalas predicted how Pulisic will handle his role as the focal point of the American attack.
When Cowherd questioned what kind of production is mandatory from Pulisic, Lalas responded that fans and media should not wait for the star to transform into a vocal leader in front of the cameras.
“He’s not particularly sociable or exaggerated when you see him interviewed. He doesn’t need to be,” Lalas added.
Instead, Lalas believes Pulisic’s influence is completely linked to his play on the field.
“You just need to go out on the field, take on players one on one, and by doing that you’ll draw in a lot of defenders, open up space for others, and then do what you’re so good at: beat players and provide assists or finish on goal,” Lalas said.
“He needs to be the star in the sense that he needs to dominate the games. I think he can do that in this World Cup.”
They are no longer the helpless
Christian Pulisic will rely on his leadership on the field. (Getty Images0
Lalas reiterated that because this modern roster has been supported and resourced from a young age, the old safety net of hiding behind the underdog label has expired.
“Ultimately, when it comes to this team, we should expect more from this US team than we have expected in the past. I don’t think it’s unreasonable or unfair to do that. It’s not a grumpy ‘old man’ attitude, but this is a generation that has been given absolutely everything from a very young age, and with that comes higher expectations,” Lalas said. “United States, you should expect your team to win this group.”
If the United States takes care of business and wins Group B, which includes Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye, the new 48-team tournament structure opens up a lighter path for the program in the single-elimination phase.
“Now you are in this round of 32, where you would play against a team in which you are better,” Lalas said. “We’ve never been to a men’s World Cup where we play a knockout match against a team we’re better at. You take care of business there and go back to the round of 16.”
If they navigate that uncharted territory as the hunted rather than the hunters, the unique home field advantage could push the team into uncharted territory.
“You need a little help from the football gods, but this team, especially with the magic of [home] World… you are in rarefied air.
Cowherd didn’t hesitate to make his own bold prediction, projecting that the United States will not only advance from the group stage but will win two games in the playoffs.
“We have added [more] “There are teams in this World Cup and they are not powerful teams,” Cowherd said. “There are some wins potentially on the agenda here.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX and FS1 and each match will be streamed live and on-demand within the FOX One and FOX Sports apps.
