The U.S. men’s national team is preparing for its first home World Cup since 1994, and with that comes a level of pressure and expectation that feels both elevated and justified.
This is a U.S. team with players competing across Europe and a manager in Mauricio Pochettino who is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the world. But as the World Cup approaches, one of the biggest conversations surrounding the U.S. centers on the form of its most important attacking player: Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic is currently going through one of the toughest scoring slumps of his career. His last goal for AC Milan came on Dec. 28, 2025, a stark difference from the player who looked like a legitimate Serie A Player of the Season candidate during the first half of the campaign. At that point, Pulisic had tallied nine goals and two assists across all competitions and appeared to be playing some of the best soccer of his career.
Since then, his form has dipped in a concerning way.
Landon Donovan Weighs In On Pulisic’s Slump
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FOX Sports soccer analyst Landon Donovan addressed Pulisic’s struggles during an appearance on “First Things First,” and he did not downplay the concern.
“Well, if I’m in his shoes now, I’m very worried,” Donovan said. “And I’ve been through long stretches in my career where it just won’t go in. And there have been many games I watch of his where he’s in the right spot, makes the right play at the right moment, and then he just can’t hit the goal for some reason, or the goalie makes an amazing save.”
Donovan believes Pulisic does not need a complete reset. Instead, he thinks one moment could be enough to unlock him again.
“What needs to happen, guys, is between now and June 12th, we need to find some way — and I don’t know what the hell it is — for the ball to hit him somehow and go in the net one time.
“And I promise you, if it goes in one time, it’ll be done.”
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Donovan then pointed to a similar experience from his own national team career.
“I played a game — I had been through like eight games in a row without scoring for the national team — and we played Cuba in, I think it was in Boston, in Foxborough. And Brian McBride, my former teammate, was in on — we were on a two-on-zero on the goalie — and he could’ve scored no problem. And he rolled it across to me, and I had a two-yard tap-in.
“And I ended up scoring four goals in the game.
“So when one hits the net, it will be totally fine. But we need that to happen before June 12th. We do.”
Why Pulisic’s Form Matters So Much
(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/USSF/Getty Images)
Pulisic has always been a player who can swing dramatically with confidence. When he is at his best, he can look like one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe. When he is out of rhythm, the frustration can show in his decision-making, finishing and overall sharpness.
That has been a theme throughout parts of his career, including his time at Chelsea. During the lockdown stretch in 2020, Pulisic looked close to unplayable at times. But there were also other periods when he struggled to build consistency, which eventually contributed to his move to Italy.
AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has described Pulisic as “sensitive,” a comment that adds another layer to the conversation around his current form. The issue does not appear to be a lack of ability. Pulisic’s class has not suddenly disappeared. The bigger question is whether this slump is weighing on him mentally at the worst possible time.
A few chances remain before the World Cup
The silver lining for Pulisic is that he still has opportunities to break the drought before the World Cup begins. AC Milan has one more league match remaining, and the U.S. will also have warm-up games before opening its tournament on June 12.
For the United States to make a real run this summer, Pulisic does not just need to be involved. He needs to be close to his best.
And as Donovan made clear, it may only take one goal for that version of Pulisic to return.
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