Christian Pulisic downplayed his feud with Mauricio Pochettino after initially refraining from addressing the media during the U.S. men’s national team’s burst of September friendlies.
The AC Milan forward has endured a fractious public relationship with the USMNT coach. After a draining European campaign, Pulisic asked to be left out of the squad for this summer’s Gold Cup.
The versatile forward stirred the pot further when he revealed that his request to be included in the two friendlies before the tournament began had been bluntly rejected by Pochettino. As the Argentine coach would forcefully explain: “Players need to listen and to stick with our plan. They cannot dictate the plan.”
Pulisic watched on as his compatriots battled their way to the final, where they were once again bested by Mexico.
As one of the co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup gears up for the rapidly impending tournament, Pochettino recalled Pulisic to his squad for a pair of friendlies against South Korea and Japan. The Milan winger started both matches and, after initially sidestepping his media duties this month, insisted that he had a “good” relationship with Pochettino.
“There’s probably not as much drama as you guys think there is,” Pulisic told assembled reporters after Tuesday’s 2–0 victory over Japan.
“Yeah, we have good conversations, honestly. Probably what you guys experience, and what the media sees, is not exactly what we experience. Things are good. We spoke, we had a normal camp, and everything is good between us, good between the team.”
It all started so well for Pulisic. The USMNT’s reluctant talisman teed up Yunus Musah for the first goal of Pochettino’s tenure back in October 2024 and enjoyed a winning start. Yet, the mood around the entire national team began to turn after a humiliating Concacaf Nations League semifinal defeat to Panama in March.
A record-breaking number of defeats have followed, but Tuesday’s strong showing against Japan—which saw Pulisic register an assist—offered some minor justification for Pochettino’s bullish stance.
The USMNT, presumably with Pulisic in tow, will be back in action next month with a pair of friendlies against Ecuador and Australia. There has also been speculation surrounding a potential showpiece World Cup warmup with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Christian Pulisic Reveals Truth Behind Mauricio Pochettino ‘Drama’.