Christian Pulisic, our Captain America, is not on the USMNT roster for the upcoming friendly matches this September and October. The superstar, 27, was left off the 28-player squad called up by Mauricio Pochettino for games against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada over the next two weeks. This is the first time fans get to see the U.S. men’s national team in official action since the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and seeing Pulisic missing is a gut punch for sure.
Pulisic’s Fitness Battle and The Missing AC Milan Starts
So, why’s our guy out? It’s a double whammy of his current fitness level and Pochettino’s roster preferences. Pulisic is only just back from an injury he picked up in the World Cup earlier this summer, and he hasn’t even started a single match for AC Milan yet this season. AC Milan boss Ruben Amorim confirmed Pulisic isn’t fully fit, even though he’s not technically injured anymore. Remember that microfracture in his lower leg he suffered in the World Cup defeat to Belgium? U.S. Soccer confirmed it after the team’s exit. He got hurt early in the second half when he tried to shoot but kicked Youri Tielemans’ leg instead, getting replaced in the 59th minute by Sebastian Berhalter. That injury sidelined Pulisic for weeks, messing up his entire preseason and making him an unused substitute for Milan’s first three Serie A matches. It sounds like he needs this time to truly get back to 100%.
Pochettino’s Youth Movement Targets Olympic Gold
On the other side of the coin, Pochettino is clearly thinking big picture. He’s stacked this roster with a bunch of young guns, leaving other familiar faces like Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah, and Brenden Aaronson on the sidelines. Instead, we’re seeing fresh talent like Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, and Justin Ellis get the call. Pochettino told reporters straight up that he’s targeting the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles with these selections. He wants to get top U-23 eligible players some solid senior national team experience, building them up for a gold medal run two years from now. With Pulisic needing to recover and Pochettino going all-in on youth, there just wasn’t a spot for him this time around.
Pulisic will be using these two weeks to rest up, recover, and get ready to tear it up for his club team. AC Milan is back in action against Sassuolo on October 11, then they’ve got a Europa League trip to RB Leipzig four days later. Meanwhile, the USMNT squad will be busy with those four friendly matches, starting this September. It’s a big moment for the new faces, and it’ll be interesting to see how this young squad performs without the established veterans.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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