“After I was watching that a part of the primary episode,” Christian Pulisic says, “I used to be like, wow, I’m actually awkward, and everybody sees me as this boring man who doesn’t need to present into his life. I hope individuals can see that there’s some extra to me.”
Pulisic, the 26-year-old star of america males’s nationwide crew and Italy’s AC Milan, is daring to open up. In a brand new docuseries titled Pulisic — produced by CBS Sports activities and streamed on Paramount+ — the participant has granted what the community describes as “unprecedented entry” to his life and “rising movie star”. “As cameras seize Pulisic’s journey in assembly the calls for of world stardom whereas he prepares for the largest second of his profession — the 2026 FIFA Males’s World Cup on dwelling soil,” it provides.
The primary episode was launched this week, with the second and third to observe in January and extra promised later in 2025. It has a robust solid checklist, together with Milan govt Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who insists on calling Pulisic “Captain America”, in addition to his former Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, plus perception from team-mates and the closest members of his household.
All of them appear shocked, nearly perplexed, that Pulisic agreed to participate. Clint Dempsey, a former worldwide team-mate, says: “He doesn’t discuss that a lot, he’s not likely outgoing. What kinda content material are you gonna get for this factor?” Olivier Giroud, a earlier team-mate at AC Milan, says Pulisic is “quiet”, including there are “so many issues he retains inside himself he doesn’t need to present”. His present USMNT colleague Weston McKennie is “shocked”, saying Pulisic’s journey is “price documenting, however he doesn’t actually let individuals in a lot”.
Ibrahimovic says the one factor he sees a “little bit unfavorable” about Pulisic is that he’s “slightly bit quiet”. “He’s recognized for being Captain America, however he doesn’t wish to be Captain America. He doesn’t perhaps see himself like a superhero. He’s enjoying low profile and along with his ft on the bottom. However you are Captain America, I don’t give a s*** what you say, you might be. If that’s extra stress on you, I don’t care. It’s his personal fault — in case you weren’t so good, we wouldn’t ask something from you.”
Pulisic is chatting with The Athletic primarily to advertise the sequence, which traces his life and profession from an upbringing in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to changing into the most costly American soccer participant of all time when he joined Chelsea for $73million (then £57.6m) in 2019. Alongside the best way, he captained his nation on the age of simply 20 and have become the primary American man to play and win a Champions League closing, when Chelsea defeated Manchester Metropolis in 2021. This season, he’s AC Milan’s main scorer and creator of targets, arguably within the type of his profession, albeit now going through an damage setback till early January after tearing a calf muscle throughout Friday’s Serie A loss at Atalanta.
Pulisic after his damage on Friday (Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Pictures)
On this interview, just like the documentary, Pulisic stops in need of feeling like a totally open e-book. However he’s candid concerning the psychological challenges of life as an elite footballer (“it’s so much in your mind,” he says), his relationship along with his dad and mom, and the notion (additionally urged by a number of different Individuals within the documentary) of a bias in opposition to U.S. soccer gamers in Europe.
So why has Pulisic, this reluctant movie star, determined to do a documentary? “One in all my largest targets is inspiring that subsequent era of soccer gamers and my nation again dwelling and getting individuals excited,” he says. “I have a look at the timing of a World Cup arising within the U.S. and the game is the largest it’s ever been. It looks like the suitable time.
“A few of us are extra introverted, a few of us are extra outgoing. I hope some individuals can see this documentary and suppose, ‘I relate to him’. Hopefully, they see how I’m as an individual and realise, ‘OK, perhaps not all soccer stars are desirous to be so glamorous and within the highlight on a regular basis’. I hope they see that I’m type of the other of that and see a few of the struggles that I’m going by means of on a day-to-day foundation as an American battling in Europe to attempt to be the most effective gamers on this planet.”
It turns into clear that one in every of his motivations has been to enhance perceptions of U.S. soccer gamers in Europe. Within the documentary, Pulisic’s father, Mark, questions whether or not it should ever change in “our lifetime”, describing it as a “stigma”. Pulisic says within the sequence that it “p***** me off”, claiming he has “seen it in entrance of my eyes” and arguing that 50-50 selections by coaches — about whether or not to pick out an American participant or not — might have been impacted by it. McKennie says American gamers “all the time have that chip on our shoulder after we come to Europe”.
(John Dorton/ISI Photographs/USSF/Getty Pictures for USSF)
Pulisic tells The Athletic: “It simply conjures up me to work that a lot more durable and to need to be higher — not even giving them a choice to make and saying, ‘That is the man that we would like enjoying’. In order that’s all the time pushed me.
“I believe it’s in a greater place now. I hope I’ve had a say in that and different individuals go searching and say, ‘This man’s American and he’s doing it on the highest stage, so we have to respect a few of these guys’. Look what number of Individuals within the final 5 to 10 years have come over to Europe. Now we have gamers within the Champions League and a few of the highest leagues on this planet. It isn’t our largest driver of desirous to show them unsuitable. It’s simply one thing that’s on the market.”
Pulisic additionally discovered himself within the headlines in November when he carried out the ‘Trump dance’ after scoring for the USMNT in opposition to Jamaica, becoming a member of in with different sports activities stars who had mimicked the president-elect’s strikes.
He insisted instantly after the sport that it was not a political gesture and was simply “enjoyable” as a result of he thought the dance was “humorous”. A number of weeks on, does he really feel the identical?
“I actually don’t really feel any otherwise now than once I did it,” he says. “To me, it was a viral dance pattern, (the kind of which) I’ve achieved a number of instances in my profession. Whether or not it’s a dab or a humorous different dance that individuals nonetheless make enjoyable of me for as a result of my dancing abilities aren’t excellent, I don’t really feel any kind of manner about it. It wasn’t any type of assertion in any manner. It was only a enjoyable pattern that I used to be doing. Anybody who seems extra into it ought to actually simply not as a result of it’s simply not there.”
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Explaining USMNT star Christian Pulisic’s ‘Donald Trump dance’ and its affect
Was he shocked by the response? “In the best way that the political local weather is, particularly within the U.S., perhaps not. I’ll be trustworthy, beforehand, I didn’t actually give it some thought both. However with the best way individuals react to issues, I suppose it doesn’t shock me that a lot, now I give it some thought.”
Did U.S. Soccer communicate to him concerning the celebration? “Truthfully, no. There was no response in any respect from that aspect. I believe they know me as an individual. That’s how we should always choose individuals.”
This documentary takes us nearer to Pulisic the individual than ever earlier than. What turns into instantly clear is the affect of his father, a former skilled participant himself. Pulisic, who was coached by his dad as a child, smiles as he tells the documentary: “Generally he will get on my nerves, the man is completely out of his thoughts. He is aware of methods to get to me, methods to inspire me, methods to p*** me off.” His mom, Kelley, additionally performed soccer in her youthful days, however Pulisic says her method is completely different, explaining how her texts earlier than and after video games will all the time be the identical no matter what occurs on the sphere.
“That’s being harsh on my dad, although,” Pulisic tells The Athletic. “He did job of drawing the road. He by no means made me hate the sport or need to cease and need to give up. He was not so excessive parenting that it was uncontrolled. It was by no means like that.
“However undoubtedly he prodded me. He pushed me. He knew methods to get the most effective out of me — all the time. He was my coach rising up. He would deal with me as he would any of his different gamers, in all probability even slightly bit more durable. At this stage now, he’s not always attempting to do it. However he is aware of my recreation higher than anyone else. So he was always attempting to push me to play with bravery, with no concern.”
Pulisic along with his father, mom and the Champions League trophy after successful it with Chelsea in 2021 (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC by way of Getty Pictures)
Pulisic, at his inventive greatest, is a fearless and spontaneous expertise. He says confidence “can rely so much in your setting, type, belief out of your coaches, out of your membership, the way you’re feeling”. He says this has been restored at Milan, the membership he joined for €20million (now $21.13m, £16.55m) in the summertime of 2023 from Chelsea, the place his alternatives have been diminished following the takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022.
“It’s to not say it’s simpler now (at Milan) than it was with Chelsea, however there was a time in Chelsea the place I felt on high of the world and I used to be enjoying nice and that confidence and that no-fear mentality was simple to have. And there was additionally a time when that was extraordinarily tough as a result of I wasn’t getting the time. I felt stress that I wanted to do extra once I did get on the pitch in some type of manner. Now, I’m in a extremely good head area the place I really feel fairly assured. I really feel quite a lot of belief from the membership in quite a lot of methods.”
For Pulisic, is it honest to say Chelsea was the primary actual setback? “For certain, it was tough. I grew to become very used to my setting in Chelsea. I realized a lot, received so much and was actually proud of how issues went in sure methods. However when it’s time for a change, you possibly can really feel it with your whole being. If I wished to achieve that subsequent stage, this can be a step that I needed to take.”
So how does he deal with these moments when soccer turns into more difficult? “Getting older,” he smiles. “And understanding that the most effective on this planet are so clear within the head that, for instance, in the event that they miss an opportunity, it doesn’t really feel like the top of the world. Their complete physique language doesn’t outline them. They know they’re going to get one other as a result of they’re that good they usually’re moving into positions. It’s a few clear head and understanding that you simply’re going to have higher moments forward.”
And maybe understanding that no one can anticipate issues to go completely the entire time? “However the thoughts does loopy issues to you,” he counters. “You could have slightly little bit of success and also you’re like, ‘Man, this has bought to be what it’s all the time like’. Then when one thing doesn’t fairly go the best way you need, it’s humorous how your thoughts takes you proper again there. It’s not simple. All of us work on it day by day.
“The very best on this planet who appear to be they’re scoring each week even have psychological droughts and battles they’re coping with. It simply might not appear that manner. There’s quite a lot of elements to it. This profession, this occupation, I’m extraordinarily blessed to have the ability to do it, nevertheless it’s so much in your mind. It’s so much in your physique, there are video games on a regular basis. It’s laborious work.”
Pulisic is reluctant to say that is his greatest season individually, maybe as a result of his membership have struggled collectively and are seventh in Serie A, 9 factors in need of the Champions League locations.
“In every space, I’m getting slightly bit higher,” he says, “whether or not that be ending, crossing, defending, tactically rising and understanding the sport higher. I really feel like I’m bettering and changing into so much stronger mentally, realizing that when harder instances do hit, I’m capable of not let it have an effect on me as a lot, making the much less assured moments develop into slightly bit shorter. So it’s simply additionally about consistency and taking good care of your self.”
Pulisic after scoring for Milan in Serie A in September (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Pictures)
Pulisic’s worth to Milan has been on and off the sphere, with “Pulisic 11” jerseys constituting 15 per cent of all shirts offered globally since he joined and membership social media accounts recording 52 million impressions upon asserting his signing. The typical variety of U.S. customers of the membership’s app has doubled since his arrival, in keeping with Milan.
In the summertime, the USMNT additionally had an opportunity to boost their fame at Copa America on dwelling soil however slumped out within the group stage, which led to move coach Gregg Berhalter shedding his job and Mauricio Pochettino arriving. The event confronted important criticism, significantly over the standard of the enjoying fields and the authorities’ administration of crowds. Within the documentary, Pulisic is heard telling Ibrahimovic that there was good and dangerous to the competitors, however that it was a “catastrophe at instances”.
“That was clearly contemporary off the feelings of that complete factor,” he tells The Athletic. “It was powerful to lose and to exit in the best way that we did — only a actually unlucky second recreation (a 2-1 defeat in opposition to Panama) that we wish to suppose we should always have received. That put us in a extremely powerful spot. The situations as effectively may be powerful in these video games in opposition to all these groups with the fields and all these issues. It was only a fast assertion. It’s not like the entire thing was a catastrophe. I loved the expertise so much as effectively.
“You can see the hype across the event. It was extraordinarily thrilling. You can see in that closing (between Argentina and Colombia at Onerous Rock Stadium in Miami, which was delayed by 82 minutes owing to excessive overcrowding) there have been individuals coming in by means of the vents and it was all types of insanity.
“After all, we want we (the USMNT) might do higher. We need to be there to have the American individuals behind us. Belief me, nobody desires it as dangerous as I do. And it sucked that we couldn’t ship. That’s why it was simply so disappointing for us. The extra success you’ve got, the extra your nation goes to get behind you.”
He says Pochettino has shortly made his imaginative and prescient clear. “He has a really demanding type. He desires us to play an attacking type, the place we’ve the ball, create probabilities, be very dynamic and in addition work extraordinarily laborious. As quickly as we lose it, to win it again and undoubtedly a extra greater up urgent type. So, yeah, it’s loopy to say it appears like he’s been the coach for some time and I haven’t bought to spend an entire lot of time with him. But it surely has been begin to this point.”
Pulisic has not had a lot time along with his new nationwide crew coach but owing to the infrequency of worldwide breaks (John Dorton/ISI Photographs/USSF/Getty Pictures)
Each Pochettino and Pulisic will probably be pivotal in 2026 and that, maybe, is the place the participant’s final legacy will probably be cast. If he’s making one other documentary in a decade’s time, what would he prefer it to indicate?
“I might love to have the ability to say that I’ve been a small or massive half in taking soccer in America to an entire different stage and hopefully bringing us to a degree the place we’re one of the revered nations on this planet,” says Pulisic. “That may be an unbelievable aim for me. If we’re in that dialog and competing as a nationwide crew on the highest stage and in a few of the largest competitions on this planet, that will make me extraordinarily proud and simply hopefully we may be able the place the game has develop into what a few of the different massive ones are in America.”
GO DEEPER
Christian Pulisic interview: ‘I need to present the world what the U.S. can do’
(Prime photograph: Getty; Gabriel Bouys/AFP, Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press; design: Dan Goldfarb)