Former United States men’s national soccer team player Landon Donovan is criticizing Christian Pulisic for what he called a “disappointing” performance during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan & Tim Howard, Donovan did not shy away from his thoughts on Pulisic’s World Cup performance following the 1-4 loss to Belgium.
“In 2006, I had a really bad World Cup and I came home and I got really criticized badly for the first time in my career,” shared Donovan, as seen in the clip below. “I was depressed for a few weeks and I really struggled and I suffered. I don’t know Christian super well… I would imagine this would be crushing for him.”
Throughout the World Cup, Pulisic failed to score a single goal during the United States national soccer team games.
“In the end, he’s your best player, he’s your star player, and it just didn’t happen for him,” Donovan continued. “I want to be careful because I’m sure people are piling on him—a lot of it he deserves, of course. That’s part and parcel with this role. It’s just disappointing, I was waiting for a moment for him … and it just didn’t happen.”
Donovan concluded that Pulisic didn’t deliver the goods during the World Cup despite earning a reputation as one of the best soccer players in the country.
“It’s more than just a trend now,” Donovan added. “Like, when the games are easy, and it’s a home qualifier, and it’s Jamaica, yes. But in the big moments and the big games, he just hasn’t—I’m not criticizing, I’m just saying it factually. He is who he is at this point.”
During the USMNT’s opening game against Paraguay, Pulisic suffered from a calf injury and was forced to sit out the following game against Paraguay. He was able to return for the team’s final group stage game, playing against Turkey, and was on the pitch for two games knockout round games. He suffered another injury during the team’s final game of the World Cup, however.
“The reality is, he came out of a World Cup knockout game at home, with his leg still intact. Because you would have had to fucking drag me off the field,” Donovan said. “And I would have punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field. Put whatever you need to put in me, and I’m staying on the field.’”
