<p><strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/christian-pulisic/">Christian Pulisic</a></strong> has long carried the weight of expectation. From his rise in Europe to becoming the most recognizable American face in the global game, his trajectory has been unlike anything seen before from a player born in the United States. Yet as the debate over the greatest <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/usmnt/">USMNT</a> player of all time resurfaces ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a familiar conclusion keeps emerging:&nbsp;<strong>club stardom alone is not enough</strong>.</p>



<p>That message has now been delivered clearly, and publicly, by a former national team striker who knows exactly how legacies are forged — and how brutally they are judged. For more than two decades, the benchmark for American excellence has been set by&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/clint-dempsey/">Clint Dempsey</a></strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/landon-donovan/">Landon Donovan</a></strong>. Their influence went beyond goals and assists. They defined eras, delivered iconic moments, and turned World Cups and continental tournaments into personal stages.</p>



<p>Pulisic’s rise has been different. He has played for bigger clubs, reached higher levels in Europe, and become a genuine global star — something previous generations could only dream of. Today, he is a central figure at<strong> <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ac-milan/">Milan</a></strong>, performing week after week on one of soccer’s most historic stages. But according to&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/herculez-gomez/">Herculez Gomez</a></strong>, that alone does not place him above the legends who came before him.</p>



<p>Gomez has been clear about one principle:&nbsp;<strong>club careers and national team careers must be judged separately</strong>. In an era where American players are increasingly visible in Europe, that distinction matters more than ever. Players like Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams have built impressive club résumés, but Gomez insists that national team impact is the true measure of greatness.</p>



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<p><em>“I’m not talking club career,”</em>&nbsp;Gomez explained.&nbsp;<em>“These players today, in my opinion, have already surpassed them club-career-wise. But when we talk about U.S. Men’s National Team careers? We do have to separate the two.”</em> That separation is where the debate around Pulisic becomes most intense.</p>


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<h2>What still separates Pulisic from the top</h2>



<p>Despite his status as the most talented American player ever, Gomez argues that Pulisic’s international résumé is still incomplete. The 27-year-old has<strong> not yet matched Dempsey and Donovan in goals, assists, or defining tournament moments with the national team.</strong></p>



<p>Gomez put it bluntly: <em>“Christian, I think, is in a league of his own, and is the exception to the rule because I firmly believe that, when it’s all said and done, we will consider him the best American player, club and country, ever. But he’s got a long way to go to catch Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan in goals [with the national team] and he’s got an even longer way to go to catch Landon Donovan in assists.”</em></p>



<p>More importantly, Gomez highlighted something harder to quantify. <em>“He also hasn’t had the moments in multiple World Cups and Confederation Cups and big wins.”</em></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/01/14171101/pulisic-usmnt-1920x1080.webp" alt="pulisic usmnt" class="wp-image-615922"></figure><figcaption>Christian Pulisic of the USMNT</figcaption></figure>



<h2>The moment that defines everything</h2>



<p><strong>To be considered the greatest USMNT player ever, Pulisic must deliver decisive performances in major international tournaments — particularly the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup">World Cup</a> and Confederation Cup — while leading the national team to meaningful victories.</strong></p>


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<p>For Gomez, this generation’s legacy will be written in one place: the 2026 World Cup, played on home soil. Previous icons had their moments — Donovan’s last-gasp heroics, Dempsey’s goals on the world stage, and landmark victories that reshaped perceptions of American soccer. Without similar milestones, even the most glamorous club career remains unfinished in the national narrative.</p>



<p>While the Milan star continues to thrive in Europe, scoring regularly and carrying his club’s attacking burden,&nbsp;<strong>the expectation is that he must translate that form to the national team when it matters most</strong>.</p>

Christian Pulisic put on notice ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup: One missing piece keeps USMNT ace behind Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan

Christian Pulisic put on notice ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup: One missing piece keeps USMNT ace behind Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan - World Soccer Talk

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<p>A <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/milan/">Milan</a> limp toward the end of a disappointing campaign, questions loom over the club’s future—from the identity of the next sporting director to the potential overhaul of the first-team squad. Yet, in the midst of confusion and inconsistency,&nbsp;<strong>one player has emerged as a rare beacon of hope</strong>. A soccer analyst, a former international himself, recently highlighted this figure as&nbsp;<em>“<strong>the face of Milan right now”</strong></em><strong>,</strong> and his analysis has sparked fresh conversations about who truly deserves the title of&nbsp;<strong>the Rossoneri’s most valuable player</strong>.</p>



<p>But who is this talisman? In a season where&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/rafael-leao/">Rafael Leao</a></strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Joao Felix</strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>Santiago Gimenez</strong>&nbsp;have all failed to meet expectations, another name has risen to the top—a player whose arrival was met with curiosity, and perhaps even doubt, but who has now&nbsp;<strong>cemented his status as a leader in red and black</strong>.</p>



<p>The 2024-25 season has not gone as planned for the Rossoneri. Currently&nbsp;<strong>ninth in Serie A</strong>, the Rossoneri are battling not for a title or a Champions League berth, but simply to qualify for European competition at all. The&nbsp;<strong>Coppa Italia</strong>&nbsp;remains their last realistic shot at silverware. The team’s lack of consistency has invited intense scrutiny, <strong>six matches remaining</strong>&nbsp;to determine which players are worthy of staying as the club braces for sweeping changes under a new sporting director and coach.</p>



<p>Offensively, four big names have carried the hopes of the Red and Blacks’ faithful, each with varying degrees of success.&nbsp;<strong>Leao</strong>—once billed as a future Ballon d’Or contender—has contributed 10 goals and nine assists in 43 appearances, but has been plagued by inconsistency.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250417_WST_565809_rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-1200x675_d474e5ed.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="rafael leao joao felix milan" class="wp-image-553863" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/07165004/rafael-leao-joao-felix-milan.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p><strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/joao-felix/">Joao Felix</a></strong>, on loan from Chelsea, lit up the San Siro with a goal on debut but has since faded. Milan has reportedly&nbsp;<strong>decided against a permanent move</strong>&nbsp;for the Portuguese attacker.&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/santiago-gimenez/">Santiago Gimenez</a></strong>, the winter signing from Feyenoord, impressed early with&nbsp;<strong>three goals</strong>, but has been scoreless since mid-February, struggling to adapt to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/serie-a/">Serie A</a>’s tactical rigidity.</p>



<h2>Christian Pulisic: Milan’s reluctant hero</h2>



<p>Amid these underwhelming performances,&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/christian-pulisic/">Christian Pulisic</a></strong>&nbsp;has stood tall. <strong>15 goals and 11 assists across all competitions</strong>&nbsp;make this the most productive season of his club career. In Serie A alone, he shares the top spot in the assists chart with&nbsp;<strong>eight</strong>. The American forward added yet another assist in Milan’s 4-0 win over Udinese, delivering a pinpoint corner for Strahinja Pavlovic’s goal. With&nbsp;<strong>six league matches and at least one <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/coppa-italia">Coppa Italia</a> fixture left</strong>, Pulisic looks set to break his own personal best.</p>



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<p>Despite three managerial changes this season, the American star has maintained his form. From&nbsp;<strong>Stefano Pioli</strong>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<strong>Paulo Fonseca</strong>&nbsp;and now&nbsp;<strong>Sergio Conceicao</strong>, his consistency has been unmatched. <strong><em>“He has been since he signed,”</em></strong>&nbsp;said&nbsp;<strong>Herculez Gomez</strong>, former <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/USMNT/">USMNT</a> forward and now <em><strong>ESPN</strong></em> analyst, when asked if Pulisic is Milan’s MVP.</p>



<p><strong><em>“$20 million is an absolute steal for a player like Christian Pulisic and for that productivity. I can think of maybe one player that comes close to goal involvements… and that’s Lautaro Martínez. Other than that, you’re gonna have to do some real research to find a player as productive as Pulisic.”</em></strong></p>



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<p>Gomez didn’t stop there. He praised the 26-year-old’s ability to perform under various tactical systems and coaching styles: <strong><em>“It’s not that he’s only been good with one coach. He was good with Stefano Pioli, he was good with Paulo Fonseca, and he’s been good now with Sergio Conceicao. Different setups, different coaches asking different things of him, and he’s been the most consistent player to date.”</em></strong></p>

Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez, or Joao Felix – Who is Milan’s MVP? Analyst weighs in on Serie A giant’s lone bright spot

Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez, or Joao Felix – Who is Milan's MVP? Analyst weighs in on Serie A giant's lone bright spot - World Soccer Talk

Leao, Pulisic, Gimenez, or Felix – Who is Milan's MVP? Analyst weighs in on club’s lone bright spot

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Christian Pulisic put on notice ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup: One missing piece keeps USMNT ace behind Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan

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Leao, Pulisic, Gimenez, or Felix – Who is Milan's MVP? Analyst weighs in on club’s lone bright spot