Christian Pulisic has shed light on his integration into AC Milan, his approach to navigating current team challenges, his experiences at Chelsea, and his preparations for the USMNT’s World Cup journey. His overarching sentiment is clear: “I plan on scoring goals.”
The American forward recently graced the cover of Time magazine, coinciding with the nation’s anticipation for co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. In various interviews, Pulisic comes across as remarkably serious and career-focused, to the point where friends and teammates encourage him to relax more.
Pulisic aims to silence his detractors
Pulisic was among the pioneering Americans to establish a significant presence in European football, with stints at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, and now Milan. Despite his achievements, he has also faced considerable criticism.
“When people suggest it wasn’t a successful period, I find it interesting because I feel like that’s how everyone’s career progresses,” Pulisic commented on his time at Chelsea. “It’s not a constant upward trajectory.”
He made an immediate impact at Milan following his 2018 transfer, scoring on his debut in a 2-0 victory against Bologna.
“I wasn’t overthinking or overly concerned with every instruction,” Pulisic recalled. “I just thought, ‘You know what? I’m just going to go out and play.'”
This uninhibited approach has served him well in the past, but 2026 has presented a difficult spell, as he has yet to score a goal in any competition for AC Milan or the USMNT. When questioned by Time about how he intends to overcome this significant dip in form, his response was direct.
“I plan on scoring goals. Those are such bad questions. I’m not worried about it, man.”
However, when he reflects on past challenging moments, such as being excluded from the Gold Cup squad last June, it becomes apparent why his current scoring drought is particularly frustrating.
“That period was tough for me because normally I can silence people with my performances. That’s what I’ve done throughout my career. I was in my offseason, so people were just talking about me, and I couldn’t just go out and score to shut them up.”
He has been playing consistently but has struggled to find the back of the net or silence his critics.
“Driving towards the goal, creating attacking plays – that’s why I play the game,” he emphasized when discussing his philosophy. “You obviously have to do the other aspects, defend and run, and various other things. That’s fine. But what brings me joy and excitement is finding ways to score, scoring goals, and finishing them.”
Pulisic firmly believes in the USMNT’s potential to win the World Cup but is hesitant to make concrete promises.
“That’s just not how I operate. But I can lie in my bed at night and visualize myself lifting the World Cup trophy. I did that as a child. I’m not going to stop believing. You have to believe. Why not?”