Pochettino: Pulisic should be the Messi of the USA - ESPN

United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino said Christian Pulisic should be the Lionel Messi of the U.S. due to his talent and recognizability.

«I think Christian in the last year showed a great quality. He's performing in Europe, also he's performing with the national team. He's a very talented player that can help us to win,» Pochettino said when speaking on the «Unfiltered Soccer» podcast with former USMNT standouts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.

«You say people compare Messi with Christian Pulisic. I don't want to be disrespectful to Messi or Pulisic, but I think in this country, Pulisic should be our Messi, because he's an iconic player. The kids on the street for sure if you ask one soccer player in this country, it's Pulisic.»

Pulisic, 26, stands as an integral part of the USMNT, recording 32 goals and 18 assists in 76 appearances since making his senior team debut in March 2016. He has taken the role of captain on multiple occasions, and led the team to the 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League trophies.

At club level, Pulisic has represented Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now AC Milan. He is coming off statistically the most successful club season of his career with 17 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Despite the active role he plays on the squad, Pulisic decided, in conjunction with the U.S. Soccer Federation, not to join the USMNT for two June friendlies and the Gold Cup after a grueling season in Europe. Pochettino defended Pulisic's decision to watch from the sidelines, confirming the two communicated before the decision was made public.

«Christian is a very nice guy, is very committed to the national team and he wants to help and of course is desperate to play