Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah clap back: Duo delivers eight-word reality check to Landon Donovan and USMNT’s old guard

The U.S. Men’s National Team should be basking in anticipation for the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Instead, the conversation has been hijacked by a growing rift between the current generation of players and some of the nation’s most celebrated former stars. Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah have now responded directly to the criticism from figures like Landon Donovan — doing so with a pointed, eight-word reality check that’s impossible to ignore. What began as post-match analysis and punditry has escalated into a public back-and-forth across interviews, podcasts, and even Instagram posts. The spark? Pulisic’s absence from the 2025 Gold Cup.

Following a demanding season at Milan — 57 matches in all competitions — Christian Pulisic requested to sit out the Gold Cup. The decision, mutually agreed upon with U.S. Soccer and the coaching staff, was made to allow him to recover physically and mentally in preparation for next year’s World Cup.

However, the choice didn’t sit well with Landon Donovan. While on broadcast duty, Donovan stopped short of naming Pulisic but clearly aimed his remarks at him and other absent stars. Comparing them to Cristiano Ronaldo, the 43-year-old remarked that great players still “grind” and “represent their country” despite fatigue, adding: “It’s pissing me off.”

The 26-year-old Rossoneri star later revealed that he had even requested to participate in two pre-Gold Cup friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland, but the request was declined for the sake of roster continuity.

Pulisic himself later addressed the controversy during a CBS Sports podcast appearance. He called suggestions that he lacked commitment to the national team “way out of line,” stressing that the decision was made with the World Cup in mind. “It was about what was best for me and the team in the long run,” he said.

What did Pulisic and Weah say?

Inside the USMNT setup, teammates rallied behind Pulisic. Tyler Adams stated plainly that Pulisic didn’t need to prove anything. Weston McKennie emphasized that player well-being comes first: avoiding unnecessary risk now means greater contributions later. Clint Dempsey, another national team legend, noted from experience the punishing toll of European soccer and long-haul travel, backing the decision to rest.

Recent episodes of PULSIC see Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah discussing the criticism they received from some USMNT luminaries, suggesting that their feud is far from finished. A brief excerpt posted by CBS Sports Golazo on X (previously Twitter) has him stating: “I would say the most annoying thing and for me the biggest cop-out of all time is when, especially, you know all pundits want to say, ‘You know, they didn’t want it. They lacked the will to do it’,” followed by a clip of Landon Donovan bashing the current generation.

However, the sharpest rebuttal to the older US generation’s criticism came not from the 26-year-old winger, but from Tim Weah. Responding to the familiar accusations that the current national team lacks “heart,” Weah called out the hypocrisy of certain legends-turned-pundits. “I think those guys are chasing checks,” Marseille’s latest arrival said, adding that such negativity from former heroes felt “really evil” considering they knew the pressures of being in the spotlight.

Then came the eight-word reality check aimed squarely at the critics: “The guys before us didn’t win anything either.” It was a blunt reminder that while the current squad is under intense scrutiny and higher expectations, past generations also fell short of major tournament glory.