Christian Pulisic came under heavy criticism after his decision to skip the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. However, that’s now behind him, and during this September international break, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has brought him back into the USMNT squad—making it clear he sees him as a key piece heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026.
This Saturday, the United States will play the first of two friendlies scheduled for this month. The match will be against South Korea at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Then on Tuesday, they’ll face Japan at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
Ahead of these matches, Pochettino addressed Pulisic’s return, making it clear that any issues between them earlier this year are now resolved. “For me, it’s in the past,” the coach told CBS Sports. “We all made a mistake in some time, because we read the situation in a different way. The most important is that when you are intelligent people, if we want to move on and do the right things — I want to be intelligent.”
Turning the page on the previous controversy, Pochettino opened up about the role he envisions for Pulisic on the field. “You need these types of talents, talented players that can do different things from respecting the organization,” he explained.
Pulisic last appeared for the USMNT in March.
“Having the possibility to also create the chaos in the opponent because he’s creating the chaos in the other team, but with organization. I don’t know if I can explain, but I try,” Mauricio added, signaling his intention to give Pulisic the creative freedom to make an impact with the ball at his feet—within a system built on defined and disciplined roles. “That is the thing that I hate, being predictable.”
see also
Christian Pulisic loses teammate as AC Milan send midfielder out on free loan
When did Pulisic last play for the USMNT?
Christian Pulisic’s absence from the 2025 Gold Cup also included Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to leave him out of the June international friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland, despite the AC Milan forward expressing his desire to be included.
As a result, it’s been nearly six months since Pulisic last wore the U.S. shirt. His most recent appearance came during the March international break, when the USMNT faced Panama and Canada.
Christian started both matches. The first was a 1–0 loss to Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals, where he played the full 90 minutes. Two days later, he was again in the starting lineup for the third-place match against Canada, where he captained the team and was subbed off in the 69th minute.
