Christian Pulisic is enjoying the best first half of a season in his career during the 2025–26 campaign. Despite AC Milan not competing in European competitions, the Rossoneri are pushing for the Scudetto in Italy. Highlighting his excellent form, the USMNT star has now reached 50 goal contributions in Serie A, a total surpassed by only one player in the league.
Returning to Serie A action following their Supercoppa Italiana elimination against Napoli, AC Milan hosted Hellas Verona on Matchday 17 looking to reclaim the top spot. Late in the first half, Pulisic opened the scoring with a tap-in after a header from Adrien Rabiot, before Christopher Nkunku sealed a 3-0 victory with a second-half brace.
Sunday’s goal allowed Pulisic to reach the milestone of 50 Serie A goal contributions. Since making his debut with the Italian side, he has recorded 31 goals and 19 assists in 81 league appearances (36 in 2023–24, 34 in 2024–25, and 11 in the current campaign), underlining his importance not only to Milan but across the league.
That impressive mark is topped only by Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martínez. The Argentine has appeared in 80 Serie A matches over the past three seasons, scoring 45 goals and adding nine assists for a total of 54 goal contributions, with Martínez and Pulisic standing alone as the only players to surpass the 50 mark.
Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring against Atalanta BC.
Pulisic, Lautaro, and an ‘unbalanced’ Golden Boot race
After Inter’s 1–0 win over Atalanta on Sunday, the Nerazzurri closed out 2025 atop the Serie A table with 36 points, one ahead of Milan, with Lautaro Martínez’s winning goal also moving him ahead of Christian Pulisic in the Golden Boot race. However, when it comes to the Capocannoniere battle, the USMNT star faces an uneven comparison given the difference in minutes played.
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Martínez currently leads the scoring chart with nine goals in 16 matches, logging 1,231 minutes. Pulisic sits second with eight goals but has played just 11 matches and 594 minutes in Serie A, less than half the time the Inter striker has spent on the pitch.
Injuries have been a major obstacle for Pulisic early in the season, forcing him to miss five Serie A matches. Even so, the Milan winger has averaged a goal every 74 minutes, a pace that suggests his Golden Boot total could be even higher had injuries not disrupted his campaign.
Pulisic on track for his best season
Although Milan failed to qualify for European competitions, the arrival of Massimiliano Allegri raised expectations among the fan base. The Rossoneri have endured setbacks in both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, but individually, Pulisic continues to thrive.
Across all competitions this season, the USMNT captain has tallied nine goals and two assists in 14 appearances, putting him on pace to challenge his career-best output from last year, when he posted 17 goals and 12 assists in 50 matches. With half the campaign still to play, maintaining this level could see Pulisic deliver the most prolific season of his career.
