Christian Pulisic hit with harsh market value reality check just days before home World Cup begins after 2026 goal drought with Milan

With just one week remaining before the 2026 World Cup, Christian Pulisic finds himself in an unusual position. The United States captain is preparing to lead his national team on home soil, but he does so after a difficult few months at Milan that have resulted in a significant decline in his market value and sparked fresh debate about his form.

The timing has drawn particular attention because Pulisic entered the 2025-26 season looking like one of Serie A’s most influential attacking players. Instead, injuries, inconsistent performances, and a lengthy scoring drought turned the second half of his campaign into a frustrating struggle.

Pulisic’s season can almost be divided into two separate chapters. During the opening months of the campaign, the American winger was among Milan’s standout performers, scoring eight Serie A goals and providing two assists in his first 11 league appearances.

His sharp movement, intelligent positioning, and clinical finishing made him one of the most productive attacking players in Italy. At that stage, there was every reason to believe he would enjoy the best club season of his career. However, everything changed when the calendar turned to 2026.

After scoring against Hellas Verona on December 28, 2025, Pulisic failed to find the net again for Milan throughout the remainder of the domestic campaign. The drought stretched across 19 consecutive Serie A appearances, leaving both the player and the club searching for answers as the season slipped away.

Injuries and fitness issues take their toll

Several factors contributed to Pulisic’s decline. Physical setbacks played a major role, with bursitis disrupting his rhythm in February before additional fitness concerns limited his availability later in the season. Because of those issues, he rarely enjoyed a sustained run of matches.

He completed the full 90 minutes only a handful of times and was frequently used as a substitute as manager Massimiliano Allegri attempted to manage his workload. Milan also struggled collectively in attack. Pulisic and Rafael Leao often occupied similar areas of the pitch, reducing the space available for both players and limiting the effectiveness of the club’s forward play.

The consequences were significant. The Rossoneri ultimately missed out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League, and the 27-year-old lost his automatic starting place during the closing stages of the campaign.

Relief finally arrives before the World Cup

Despite his difficult club form, Pulisic managed to end his goal drought at a crucial moment. Representing the United States in a friendly against Senegal on May 31, he delivered one of his most encouraging performances of the year. The winger first provided an assist for Sergino Dest before getting on the scoresheet himself in a 3-2 victory.

The goal ended a barren run that had stretched across both club and international play. After the match, Pulisic admitted his frustration with the attention surrounding his lack of goals. In fact, that strike could hardly have arrived at a better time. With the World Cup approaching, the USMNT will need its star forward to play with confidence and freedom.

The market value revelation

While the goal against Senegal offered encouragement, Transfermarkt‘s latest valuation update delivered less positive news. According to the latest Serie A market value review, Pulisic’s valuation fell by approximately $11 million, dropping from around $55 million to roughly $44 million.

The reduction places him among the most notable losers in the latest assessment and reflects the difficult second half of his season. “Until the end of 2025, he was, alongside Lautaro, one of the players with the most goal contributions in Serie A over recent years,” Transfermarkt expert Tobias Dietl explained.

“But in 2026, Pulisic seems to have completely disappeared. Since December, he has struggled to score; his performances have been consistently disappointing, and he has never been able to help Milan out of their very difficult second half of the season.”

Dietl added that a combination of age, form, and market conditions contributed to the downgrade. “Combined with his age and what is likely a difficult market for a profile like his, this has led to such a significant downgrade.”