The USMNT’s performance at this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup will be heavily scrutinized, not only for those who appear on the field for the U.S. but also in the context of those who are not around.
USA captain Christian Pulisic was one of a few key individuals not named to the roster for the tournament, a notable absence given not only his position as a leader for the side, but also given it is the final opportunity for competitive minutes before next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
U.S. Soccer confirmed upon release of the roster that Pulisic, as well as his AC Milan teammate Yunus Musah, personally requested to be excused Gold Cup duties rather than it being a decision made by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Given the World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, preparation for the 2026 tournament is considered monumental, and thus Pulisic’s absence has not been received well by various former national-team players, fans, or media members.
While some USMNT stars are not on the roster due to injury or Club World Cup participation, Pulisic and a few others have requested the summer off to rest after a long club season. While there is clearly merit in this given Pulisic played more minutes in 2024/25 than any other in his club career, it’s also been perceived as a lack of dedication to the USMNT, especially at such a critical juncture in the national team’s preparation.
The Sporting News details why Pulisic has received criticism for this decision, most notably from USA great Landon Donovan.
MORE: A look at the USMNT roster for the 2025 Gold Cup, which does not include Pulisic
Christian Pulisic and Landon Donovan beef, explained
U.S. national team legend Donovan hit out at current star Pulisic for his failure to appear for the USMNT this summer at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Donovan, who is tied for first all-time in USMNT history for goals and second in appearances, did not approve of the decision to grant Pulisic time off rather than call him up for the tournament and felt it represented a lack of commitment or intent to his position as a leader for the U.S.
“This is what it means to represent your country,” Donovan said postgame on FOX after Portugal’s victory over Spain in the UEFA Nation League final. “As an international soccer player, if you don’t want to take it seriously or responsibly, then don’t come in.”
Referencing Cristiano Ronaldo’s key role for Portugal in the final, Donovan couldn’t help but compare the superstar’s work ethic to his view of Pulisic. “He’s [Ronaldo] 40 years old, he played a long ass season, he was out there grinding and got hurt in the process. And I can help but think about our guys on vacation not wanting to play in Gold Cup. It’s p—–g me off.”
Donovan did not name Pulisic directly, but it was clear who he was referencing.
What did Christian Pulisic’s dad say about Donovan?
While Pulisic has yet to speak out about Donovan’s comments, his dad took to social media to share his thoughts.
Mark Pulisic, who is occasionally outspoken about his son’s career and perception in the public eye, shared a photo on his Instagram defending the Milan forward and hitting back at Donovan. Mark’s intent was to point out Donovan’s apparent hypocrisy by highlighting a “sabbatical” that the ex-striker himself took in 2013, which saw him miss two World Cup qualifiers and drew the ire of coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
The image shared was a screenshot of ChatGPT summarizing the sabbatical, saying: “Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete.”
Mark’s caption below then read: “This guy is… talking about commitment… look in the mirror + grow a pair and call names out or are you afraid next time you want an interview you will get rejected again.”
Obviously, there’s a lot going on here. The most notable aspect is Mark Pulisic’s attempt to undermine Donovan’s comments, but it also appears he is insinuating that Donovan at some point has requested an interview with Christian Pulisic, only to be turned down.
In the screenshot, ChatGPT did not cite any quotes, sources, or accounts for its information. ChatGPT has infamously been poor at summarizing factual statements or incidents, and is not a reliable source for things of this nature.
Notably, Christian Pulisic “liked” the post from his own account.
Dempsey, Lalas question Christian Pulisic’s USMNT absence
Donovan has been far from the only member of the media to call Pulisic’s national-team commitment into question. Former U.S. nationals Clint Dempsey and Alexi Lalas have also both criticized Pulisic in their own way.
Lalas, an outspoken member of the media, unsurprisingly took the much harsher stance. “I don’t understand how a player turns down the chance to represent his country when it needs him most, especially at such a crucial time,” he said on his USMNT-focused podcast State of the Union. “This is a tough blow for Pulisic’s image and for the team. When they need a positive presence, this summer should have been the perfect opportunity to build experience ahead of the World Cup.
“I played in a different era, but there’s no denying that the times I competed in were tough. The challenges we faced back then don’t compare to the opportunities, comforts, and assurances that players have today. Yes, they play a lot of matches — but you know what? So does [Lionel] Messi, and he’s never refused to play for his national team.”
Dempsey, meanwhile, was slightly more tactful about his choice of words but still raised concerns he has with Pulisic’s decision, initially praising the player for his past performances before contrasting his absence this summer to Dempsey’s own unwavering commitment to the U.S. national team.
“In terms of his situation, I can’t say what it is, I don’t know the ins and outs of it,” Dempsey said on the Men In Blazers podcast. “But in terms of my situation, when I played in Europe and came back, there were times where I was tired. I had to get a PRP injection in my adductor. I had to maybe rest for some of the friendly games so that I could be fit to play in the tournaments.
“Whether it was Gold Cup, whether it was Copa [America], whether it was Confederations Cup, whether it was the World Cup… I wasn’t gonna miss competitions. That’s just the kind of guy that I always was. So, for me, I don’t understand it because that wasn’t my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games.”
Weston McKennie defends Christian Pulisic after Donovan comments
Pulisic has also seen fellow players come to his defense in the wake of Donovan’s comments.
Fellow USMNT star Weston McKennie, who is also not on the Gold Cup roster this summer, spoke out in Pulisic’s defense.
McKennie, who is absent from USMNT duty not for rest but instead for club duty with Juventus at the concurrent Club World Cup, told USA Today that he has his teammate’s back.
“Obviously, none of us take for granted playing for the national team. None of us want to lose games,” McKennie said on Monday from Juventus headquarters in Italy. “All of us want to compete. And for me, it’s a little bit, I won’t say sad, but as a former national-team player, I think as a national-team player pool — previous, present — I think it’s more about trying to build or even say something like that to a person directly rather than putting it out there.
“That’s just my opinion because we’ve all been through those moments, even when comments about us losing the Nations League were made by many players from before, but they’ve had the same thing on a bigger stage with not qualifying for the World Cup.”
It’s notable that McKennie was not eligible for USMNT duty this summer. As a player for a Club World Cup participant, he did not have to be released for national-team duty this window, as FIFA issued an exemption to clubs participating in the competition.
Usually, all players called up for international games are required to be released by their clubs as long as the match they are being rostered for falls within a designated FIFA international break. While this summer’s competition does indeed qualify for required release, clubs at the Club World Cup are exempt from this requirement. Thus, the USMNT avoided call-ups for McKennie and other Club World Cup participants such as Tim Weah and Gio Reyna.
