The World Cup is just around the corner and in the United States they do not want to be just a host, but will seek to make history and go as far as possible. To achieve this, the US national team relies fully on its great star, Christian Pulisic, who is not going through his best moment, but in the words of a legend, “he is still a top player”.
After two historic seasons with AC Milan, where he broke personal records (scoring 32 goals between 2023 and 2025), “Captain America” has fallen into a slump in form that has already seen him go five consecutive games without scoring, but he has the backing of Tim Howard, the former national team goalkeeper who spoke about the striker’s form.
Tim Howard backs Pulisic
In the latest episode of the ‘Unfiltered Soccer’ podcast, goalkeeping legend Tim Howard analyzed the situation alongside Landon Donovan. With his trademark frankness, Howard sent a message of calm, but also of reality for those who expect Pulisic to be infallible.
He is an elite player, but he is not Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. They are the only ones who score 50 goals every year for a decade and a half. All the others, even the best, go through negative streaks
For Howard, Pulisic’s slump is a natural process for any top-level footballer, although he warned that the timing, so close to the World Cup, is delicate. “He knows he hasn’t been assisting or scoring like he used to. He’s not stupid. But I trust that he won’t just sit back and wait for things to change on their own.”
Christian Pulisic’s numbers before the World Cup
Pulisic’s drop in performance does not seem to be a question of attitude, but of health. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri recently confirmed that the 27-year-old striker suffers from bursitis, a joint inflammation that has robbed him of the explosiveness needed to break through in Serie A.Pulisic’s balance in 2025-26 until February:
- Matches played: 16
- Goals: 8
- Assists: 2
- Last 5 games: 0 goals / 0 assists.
The former Chelsea striker’s current form is not the best, but both Howard and the fans trust him and hope that with the months remaining before the World Cup he can regain confidence and lead a team that will be looking to make history.
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