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Christian Pulisic’s 18-game goalless streak for AC Milan is not good news for the United States men’s national team with the 2026 World Cup just weeks away. But FOX Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas found AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri’s comment about Pulisic’s sensitivity equally troubling.
“The last thing you want a coach to call you is something sensitive,” Lalas said on the most recent episode of his “State of the Union” podcast.
“Christian Pulisic, as a soccer player, has certainly developed and matured into what I think will ultimately be considered the greatest American soccer player in history. But he hasn’t become the player that a lot of people imagined. I also think that external things can impact him, and maybe he takes them personally, and maybe he’s more emotional than you would like.”
Allegri called Pulisic “very sensitive” after a recent match, adding that the American star lets his scoring droughts “get to him more.”
“He is a player who gets into tackles and fights more. He suffers more from this,” Allegri said. “I have to try to give balance to the team by playing without a true center forward, he has more difficulties.”
Lalas went on to emphasize that Allegri’s comment was far from ideal for Pulisic.
“If this is just an acknowledgment of how you see this player? That’s fine,” Lalas said. “But from a public perspective, it’s just not what you want to hear.”
Pulisic has been one of the United States’ star players over the years, ranking fifth among all-time leading scorers for the United States with 32 goals in 82 appearances. Additionally, Pulisic became the youngest American player to score 10 international goals in 2019.
However, Pulisic’s scoring problems have also existed in the international game. He has not scored in his last seven games for the US men’s national team, and his last international goal came in a friendly against New Zealand in September 2024.
But Pulisic did have a moment in which he rose to the occasion in the last World Cup. Pulisic pushed the United States into the round of 16 with his decisive goal against Iran in the 2022 tournament. Now, facing a World Cup at home to the United States, the pressure is on Pulisic to deliver again.
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. The 104 matches of the tournament will air live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will stream live and on-demand within the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
