Former U.S. men’s national team star Alexi Lalas took aim at Christian Pulisic, claiming the American superstar is not the captain the USMNT “needs or wants” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Pulisic has come under fire over the last year for his leadership and commitment to the Stars and Stripes. A string of underwhelming performances and results, combined with the decision to skip the Gold Cup this summer, subjected the 26-year-old to a wave of criticism.
With just eight months to go until the USMNT kicks off its 2026 World Cup campaign in Los Angeles, the noise is only getting louder for Pulisic, who has the pressure of wearing the captain’s armband for the host nation in the biggest tournament of his career.
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Lalas, a vocal critic of the AC Milan forward, did not hold back when addressing Pulisic’s captaincy on the State of the Union podcast.
“I don’t think that Christian Pulisic is the captain that this team needs or that this team wants. The problem is, who else is there? Who’s coming around the bend? Nobody,” Lalas said.
The 55-year-old went on to mention Chris Richards, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, but admitted those players are “not quite there yet.”
Pulisic has been the USMNT’s standout player since he burst onto the scene, displaying a talent that kickstarted the Stars and Stripes’ “golden generation.”
The Pennsylvania native already has the fifth-most all-time goals for the USMNT, chasing records set by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. Pulisic also stars for AC Milan and has a long list of both Serie A and Champions League accolades to his name.
Yet, according to Lalas, his skill should not guarantee him the captaincy of the USMNT.
“The notion that your best player is not necessarily equipped to be a captain is nothing new. We have seen it over the years and it is completely valid. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have passion.
“Oftentimes, it’s not necessarily the best player; it’s not necessarily the person who has done the most in their career. It’s not even necessarily somebody that’s larger than life. And oftentimes you have to be able to take a step away and say, ‘This is what’s good for the team,’” Lalas said.
It might be some time before Pulisic can return and potentially prove Lalas wrong; the winger suffered a hamstring injury during the October international window and AC Milan have reportedly asked Mauricio Pochettino not to call up their superstar in November.
