Skip to content

Christian Pulisic

Ch. 1 of 8
— CH. 1 · INTRODUCTION —

Contents

Christian Pulisic

8 sections
  • Christian Pulisic is an American soccer player whom fans and other players call Captain America. At the age of 25 he matched Landon Donovan's record of four U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards. He was born in 1998, and he has since played his club soccer in Germany, England and Italy. Along the way he has collected a long list of firsts, youngest-evers and fastest-evers. Many of them belong to an American. A few belong to nobody else on the continent. This documentary asks how a teenager ended up trusted with so much so early. It asks what London gave him and what it took away. And it asks what a national team captain carries when his country stumbles.

  • Hershey, Pennsylvania, is where Christian Pulisic was born and where he spent most of his childhood. His parents, Kelley and Mark, both played collegiate soccer at George Mason University. Mark also played professional indoor soccer for the Harrisburg Heat in the 1990s, and later coached at youth, college and professional levels. The boy's soccer idol was Luís Figo.

    The family did not stay in one place. A Fulbright Program teacher exchange took his mother to England, and Pulisic spent a year in Tackley, Oxfordshire. At age seven he began playing for the youth team of Brackley Town. In the mid-2000s his father became general manager of the indoor club Detroit Ignition. The family moved to Michigan, where Pulisic played for Michigan Rush and attended Workman Elementary School.

    Back in the Hershey area, he played for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy club PA Classics. In his teens he sometimes trained with the Harrisburg City Islanders, now known as Penn FC. In the summer of 2010 he went on a five-day trial at Chelsea's Cobham base.

    Germany came next, and a family detail made it possible before he turned 16. His grandfather was Croatian, which meant Pulisic could hold a European passport and play there from age 16 instead of 18. The passport gave him trouble at first, but it eventually came through. In February 2015 Borussia Dortmund signed him and placed him in the under-17 side, which won the Under 17 Bundesliga in 2014-15. That summer he moved up to the under-19 team and won its league in 2015-16. His record across 15 youth games was 10 goals and 8 assists, and it earned him a place with the first team over the winter break.

  • On the 24th of January 2016, Pulisic played a full 90 minutes in a friendly against Union Berlin, scoring one goal and setting up another. Days earlier he had played the second half of two friendlies, with one goal and one assist. Six days after the Union game, on the 30th of January, he made his Bundesliga debut. He came on as a second-half substitute for Adrián Ramos in a 2-0 win against Ingolstadt. On the 18th of February he made his UEFA Europa League debut, again from the bench, in a 2-0 victory against Porto.

    His first Bundesliga start came on the 21st of February, against Bayer Leverkusen, and he was replaced by Marco Reus. His second start was the Revierderby against Schalke 04 on the 10th of April. He played 73 minutes before İlkay Gündoğan took his place. Manager Thomas Tuchel was careful to put it in context. "He's a teenager in his first year of professional football," Tuchel said, adding that giving him a starting place "shows our huge appreciation that we see him as a full time player on our team."

    On the 17th of April Pulisic opened the scoring in a 3-0 home win against Hamburg. At 17 years and 212 days old, he became the youngest non-German and the fourth-youngest player to score in the Bundesliga. Six days later, against VfB Stuttgart, he became the youngest player to score twice in the league. That match also brought his first Bundesliga yellow card, for a challenge on Emiliano Insúa.

    In the 2016 International Champions Cup, he scored in stoppage time against Manchester City to send the match to penalties. In his first competitive appearance of the new season, he became Dortmund's youngest player to appear in the UEFA Champions League. A week later he scored once and set up two more in a 6-0 win against Darmstadt 98, a day before his 18th birthday. Against Real Madrid in September, he came on with Dortmund trailing 2-1 and helped set up André Schürrle's late goal for a 2-2 draw. In October he supplied an assist and the equalizer in a comeback from 3-1 down against Ingolstadt 04.

    On the 23rd of January 2017 he signed a new contract running to 2020. On the 8th of March 2017 he scored his first Champions League goal, in a 4-0 win over Benfica. At 18 years, 5 months and 18 days, he was Dortmund's youngest scorer in the competition. He helped Dortmund win the DFB-Pokal that season. In April 2017 he was a victim of the Borussia Dortmund team bus bombing, and in 2019 he was among the teammates who testified.

    On the 5th of August 2017 he scored the first goal of the DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich. He finished 6th on the final shortlist for the 2017 Golden Boy award. The next year he was runner-up to Kylian Mbappé in the inaugural Kopa Trophy. By then another club had already made its move.

  • On the 2nd of January 2019, Pulisic signed with Chelsea for an estimated £58 million, a deal reported as $73 million or £57.6 million. It made him the most expensive American player, and the most expensive North American player of all time. It was also Dortmund's second most expensive sale ever, behind Ousmane Dembélé. He stayed at Dortmund on loan for the rest of that season. When he arrived in the summer, he spoke of wanting to match the form of Eden Hazard, whom he called a soccer idol.

    On the 11th of August 2019 he made his Premier League debut, a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United. On the 26th of October, he scored a perfect hat-trick in a 4-2 win at Burnley. It was his first hat-trick as a professional. Only one American had done it in the Premier League before him: Clint Dempsey for Fulham in 2012. At 21 years and 38 days, Pulisic was the youngest hat-trick scorer in Chelsea's history. No Chelsea player had scored a perfect hat-trick since Didier Drogba in 2010.

    His Champions League moments came in a different form. Against Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena he came off the bench and delivered the low cross that Michy Batshuayi thumped home for a 1-0 win. He scored his first Champions League goal for Chelsea on the 27th of November, in a 2-2 draw at Valencia. After the league resumed following the COVID-19 lockdown, he scored an equalizer against Aston Villa on the 21st of June 2020. Next came the opening goal in a 2-1 win over Manchester City, a result that confirmed Liverpool as champions.

    On the 1st of August 2020 he scored after five minutes in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal. It made him the first American to score in that final. A hamstring injury forced him off early in the second half, and Arsenal came back to win 2-1. He finished the season with 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions. He was also on the eight-player shortlist for the inaugural Premier League Young Player of the Season, which went to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.

    For his second season he received the number 10 shirt, which Willian had worn before leaving for Arsenal. On the 5th of December 2020, a 93rd-minute goal against Leeds United made him the fastest American to reach 10 Premier League goals. On the 27th of April 2021 he scored Chelsea's only goal in a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. He was the youngest Chelsea player and the first American to score in that round. In the return leg at Stamford Bridge, he came on as a substitute and assisted Mason Mount's late goal in a 2-0 win.

    On the 29th of May 2021, Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in the final at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto. Pulisic became the first American to play in a Champions League final. He was the second to win it, after Jovan Kirovski with Dortmund in 1997.

    The silverware kept coming. On the 11th of August 2021 he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in the penalty shootout. Chelsea then won the FIFA Club World Cup, beating Palmeiras 2-1 in a final in which he came on early as a substitute. In the EFL Cup final against Liverpool on the 27th of February 2022, he started, but Chelsea lost on penalties after a 0-0 draw. He scored in both legs against Lille in the Champions League last 16, in a 4-1 aggregate win. Chelsea also finished runner-up in the FA Cup in three straight seasons.

    The 2022-23 season was harder. On the 8th of October 2022 he scored in his first start under new manager Graham Potter, a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Then Chelsea bought new attackers in a rush and changed managers, and his starts dwindled. His contract ran to 2024, but he was widely expected to leave. AC Milan, Lyon, Manchester United and Newcastle United were all interested.

  • On the 13th of July 2023, Pulisic joined AC Milan on a four-year contract running until the 30th of June 2027. The deal was worth a maximum of €22 million. He received the number 11 shirt, which Zlatan Ibrahimović had worn before him.

    His Serie A debut came on the 21st of August 2023, when he scored Milan's second goal in a 2-0 win against Bologna. It made him the first American to score in three of Europe's top five leagues. Five days later he opened a 4-1 win over Torino and was named the club's Player of the Month for August. On the 7th of October he scored a last-minute winner in a 1-0 victory against Genoa. On the 13th of December, his goal in a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in the Champions League kept Milan in European competition through the Europa League. On the 30th of December, a goal against Sassuolo gave him six league goals in a season, a record for an American in Serie A. He was Serie A Player of the Month for December, the first North American ever to win the award.

    On the 2nd of March 2024 he won a dramatic 1-0 match against Lazio by drawing red cards for two opposing players. Afterward he received death threats from Lazio fans, while his manager Stefano Pioli and his teammates praised his performance. In the Europa League round of 16 he scored in both legs against Slavia Prague, on the 7th and the 14th of March. They were his first goals in that competition. His goal at Hellas Verona on the 17th of March was his 12th of the season, a career first. It was also Milan's 5000th goal in Serie A. On the 6th of April he scored his 10th league goal, against Lecce, a personal best. On the 11th of May he scored his first brace for Milan in a 5-1 win over Cagliari.

    He finished the season with 15 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, and was regarded as the best Italian signing of 2023-24. He was one of three finalists, with Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Teun Koopmeiners, for Serie A Midfielder of the Season. He also made the 2023-24 Serie A Team of the Season.

    The next season began with a solo effort. On the 22nd of September 2024, Pulisic opened a 2-1 win over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina by dribbling past four defenders. On the 6th of October, in a 2-1 loss to Fiorentina, a penalty dispute broke out. Théo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham took the penalties from him, and both missed. Manager Paulo Fonseca was furious. "Christian should take penalties. It must never happen again, and I told the players," he said. Pulisic then became the first player in a top-five European league to contribute to a goal in seven straight league matches.

    On the 6th of January 2025, Milan beat Inter 3-2 in the Supercoppa Italiana. Pulisic scored the equalizer and made the pass for Rafael Leão's winner, and was joint top scorer. It was his first trophy with Milan. He had converted 12 penalties in a row before Torino's goalkeeper, Vanja Milinković-Savić, blocked one on the 22nd of February. On the 27th of April a goal against Venezia gave him a career-best 16 goals in a season. He ended as Milan's top scorer with 17 goals and 10 assists, and his 9 league assists trailed only Romelu Lukaku. He made the Serie A Team of the Season for a second year.

    The 2025-26 season started quickly. On the 21st of September 2025, a brace against Udinese took him to 59 goals in Europe's top five leagues. That passed Clint Dempsey's American record of 57. A week later he made an assist after a solo run from his own half, then scored in a 2-1 win that put Milan top of the league. He won his second Serie A Player of the Month award for September. After a month out injured, he scored the winner in a 1-0 derby against Inter. On the 8th of December, with an influenza fever, he came off the bench to score twice in a 3-2 comeback against Torino. Commentators compared it to Michael Jordan's 1997 flu game.

    After his 10th goal, a series of injuries began in late December. Manager Massimiliano Allegri also shifted him and Leão into central striker roles, and Pulisic did not score again that season.

  • On the 13th of December 2013, a young Pulisic scored in a 4-1 championship win over Brazil at a U-17 friendly tournament in Florida. Earlier he had scored two goals in 10 appearances for the United States under-15 team. He captained the under-17s at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with a goal and an assist in three games. Across two years with the under-17 team, he scored 20 goals in 34 games. He was eligible to play for Croatia as well, but declined.

    Jürgen Klinsmann called him up to the senior team on the 27th of March 2016. Two days later Pulisic made his debut as an 81st-minute substitute for Graham Zusi in a 4-0 World Cup qualifying win against Guatemala in Columbus, Ohio. He was the youngest American ever to play in a World Cup qualifier. He joined the squad for the Copa América Centenario, hosted in the United States. A week later he scored late in a 4-0 friendly against Bolivia, the youngest American to score in the modern era. On the 2nd of September 2016 he scored twice and added an assist in a 6-0 win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He was the youngest American to score in a World Cup qualifier, and the youngest to score a brace for his country.

    Then came the qualifying campaign that ended badly. On the 8th of June 2017 Pulisic scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. He scored in each of the last two matches, a 4-0 win over Panama and a 1-2 defeat at Trinidad and Tobago. His five goals made him top scorer of the fifth round. The United States still failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The loss to Trinidad and Tobago is considered the most humiliating performance in American soccer history.

    On the 20th of November 2018 he became the youngest player to captain the national team, at 20 years and 63 days old, in a friendly defeat to Italy. On the 26th of March 2019 he became the youngest American to reach 10 international goals, at 20 years and 189 days. That summer he was named best young player of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where the United States finished runner-up.

    On the 6th of June 2021 he captained the team in the first-ever CONCACAF Nations League final, against Mexico. He scored the winning goal, a penalty in the 114th minute, in a 3-2 victory. On the 27th of March 2022 he scored his first international hat-trick, against Panama in World Cup qualifying. Two of the goals were penalties.

    At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he assisted Tim Weah's goal against Wales. He won Man of the Match for his pressing in a 0-0 draw with England. He won it again after scoring the winner against Iran, a 1-0 result that sent the United States into the knockout round. He assisted Haji Wright's goal against the Netherlands, though the United States lost 3-1. Only Messi with four and Mbappé with three won more Man of the Match awards at the tournament.

    In 2023 he scored twice against Mexico in the Nations League semi-final and was named Man of the Match. The United States beat Canada 2-0 in the final, and he was named Player of the Tournament. In 2024 he captained the team to a 2-0 final win over Mexico, a third straight Nations League trophy. At the 2024 Copa América, he scored and assisted in a 2-0 win over Bolivia and was again Man of the Match. On the 18th of November 2024 he became the fastest American to record 50 goal contributions. His record as of 2026 stands at 85 appearances and 33 goals.

  • FourFourTwo writer Andy Mitten reported that Thomas Tuchel saw in the young Pulisic "the speed, sharpness, strength, sublime fitness and mature decision-making that belied his age." Tuchel also called him someone who is "very self-confident, shows his talent on the pitch, and doesn't show any nerves under pressure." Teammate Nuri Şahin said, "He's fearless," and singled out his first touch. According to Şahin, it creates space for him even when there is none.

    From the 2018-19 season he was most often used on the wing, and that continued at Chelsea and Milan. At Milan, with Rafael Leão on the left, he often moved to the right. When Leão was absent, he sometimes played on the left, his traditionally preferred side. He also plays centrally as an attacking midfielder, or trequartista, serving as the team's playmaker. His direct style draws fouls. In April 2021 he won 11 against Porto, tying Lionel Messi's Champions League record for a single match.

    In July 2020 Frank Lampard compared him to Eden Hazard. Lampard said Pulisic "has a more direct attacking instinct," and added that "there's still more development to come." Stefano Pioli, his Milan manager, praised his quality, intensity and willingness, and noted that scoring a lot is not always easy for a winger.

    He is widely regarded as the most successful American club player of all time. He is the all-time American leader in goals and assists in the Champions League, Serie A and Europe's top five leagues. Early in his Dortmund years he ranked 3rd on the 2017 NXGN list of the world's 50 best wonderkids under 19. At Chelsea he was increasingly criticized for injuries, having missed 53 club games across four seasons. After moving to Milan, his fitness and form recovered.

    Since he was young, people have debated whether he is the greatest American player ever, alongside national team legends Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. He is also considered one of the two best active CONCACAF players, alongside Alphonso Davies. Even when his club form struggled, most notably at Chelsea, he has been known to excel for the national team.

  • A clip from the television show Pawn Stars, now a meme, gave Pulisic the nickname "The LeBron James of Soccer." His family history is more layered than the nickname suggests. His paternal grandfather, Mate Pulišić, was born on the Croatian island of Olib. In a 2023 ESPN interview, Pulisic said his paternal grandmother, Johanna DiStefano, was Sicilian. He added that his father has an Italian flag tattooed on his forearm. After moving to Germany he obtained Croatian citizenship, which let him avoid applying for a German work visa. His cousin Will Pulisic played for the MLS Next Pro team Minnesota United FC 2.

    Pulisic is a practicing Catholic, and occasionally posts Bible verses on social media. He is a fan of the New York Jets, New York Rangers and Philadelphia 76ers. He also loves the Ford Mustang, and in 2021 he imported a left-hand drive Shelby GT500 from the United States to England.

    In 2021 he signed a long-term sponsorship deal with the German sportswear brand Puma. On the 11th of October 2022 he released an autobiography, Pulisic: My Journey So Far. In it he revealed that he had suffered from depression while injured in 2020, and during periods when he rarely played.

    In June 2024, CBS Sports announced that filming had begun on a docuseries called PULISIC. It was to cover his personal life, his professional career and his role at the 2024 Copa América, and to be released on Paramount+.

Updated

Common questions

Who is Christian Pulisic?

Christian Pulisic is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger, attacking midfielder and forward for AC Milan and the United States national team. He was born in 1998 and is nicknamed Captain America.

Why is Christian Pulisic called Captain America?

Fans and other players gave Christian Pulisic the nickname Captain America because he captains the United States national team and plays at a high level.

Which clubs has Christian Pulisic played for?

Christian Pulisic has played for Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and AC Milan. He joined Dortmund in February 2015, Chelsea in 2019 and AC Milan on the 13th of July 2023.

Did Christian Pulisic win the Champions League?

Yes. Christian Pulisic won the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final on the 29th of May 2021. He was the first American to play in a Champions League final.

How did Christian Pulisic move to Germany before he turned 18?

Christian Pulisic's grandfather was Croatian, so he could obtain a European passport and play in Germany from age 16 instead of 18. Borussia Dortmund signed him in February 2015.

What records does Christian Pulisic hold for the United States?

Christian Pulisic became the youngest player to captain the United States national team, at 20 years and 63 days old. He is also the all-time American top goalscorer in Europe's top five leagues.

All sources

279 references cited across the entry

  1. 6Christian Pulisicussda.demosphere.com
  2. 7NewsPulišić: Ponosan sam na svoje korijene i htio bih naučiti jezikBoris Trifunović — 24sata — September 21, 2019
  3. 13MagazineUSA's Pulisic a fast-rising talent at DortmundLiviu Bird — January 20, 2016
  4. 18Men's national team: Christian PulisicUnited States Soccer Federation
  5. 21NewsPulisic nikada neće postati PulišićSlobodna Dalmacija — March 31, 2016
  6. 22Das American: Christian Pulisic's Spectacular RiseVICE Sports — November 9, 2016
  7. 57NewsPulisic bags hat trick as Chelsea doubles up BurnleyNicholas Mendola — October 26, 2019
  8. 59NewsWatford 1 – 2 ChelseaJack Wilkinson — November 2, 2019
  9. 60NewsChelsea 2–0 Crystal PalaceNovember 10, 2019
  10. 62NewsValencia 2–2 ChelseaNovember 27, 2019
  11. 63Aston Villa 1–2 ChelseaGary Rose — June 21, 2020
  12. 64Chelsea 2–1 Man CItyChris Bevan — June 25, 2020
  13. 65Liverpool 5–3 ChelseaPhil McNulty — July 22, 2020
  14. 66NewsArsenal 2–1 ChelseaPhil McNulty — August 1, 2020
  15. 77NewsChelsea 2–5 West Brom: Baggies thump five past 10-man BluesSaj Chowdhury — BBC Sport — April 3, 2021
  16. 85NewsChelsea 3–0 Crystal PalaceBBC Sport — August 14, 2021
  17. 87NewsChelsea 2–2 LiverpoolBBC Sport — January 2, 2022
  18. 90NewsLille 1–2 Chelsea (agg 1–4 Lille)BBC Sport — March 16, 2022
  19. 120NewsEA Sports FC 24 – Serie A Team of the SeasonSerie A — May 24, 2024
  20. 161MagazinePulisic cap-tied to U.S. after playing in WCQBrian Straus — March 29, 2016
  21. 163NewsPulisic makes history as USA beat GuatemalaBundesliga — March 30, 2016
  22. 164NewsPulisic included as USA unveils Copa America squadThomas Floyd — May 21, 2016
  23. 178The Most Man Of The Match Awards Won This World Cup 2022Saurabh Nagpal — December 6, 2022
  24. 182Christian Pulisic Made USMNT History Against JamaicaParker Johnson — November 18, 2024
  25. 188Did Christian Pulisic Get Re-Injured Against Bosnia and Herzegovina?Emmanuel Mendez — Yahoo! Sports — 2 July 2026
  26. 193NewsLampard on Pulisic, Hazard comparisonsJoe Prince-Wright — July 6, 2020
  27. 233NewsPulisic documentary coming to Paramount+ this fallJenna West — June 1, 2024
  28. 238NewsManchester City 0–1 ChelseaPhil McNulty — May 29, 2021
  29. 239NewsChelsea 1–1 VillarrealMark Sterling — August 11, 2021
  30. 240NewsChelsea 2–1 PalmeirasFebruary 12, 2022
  31. 242NewsChelsea 0–1 Leicester CityPhil McNulty — May 15, 2021
  32. 243NewsChelsea 0–0 LiverpoolPhil McNulty — May 14, 2022
  33. 244NewsChelsea 0–0 LiverpoolPhil McNulty — February 27, 2022
  34. 257NewsChristian Pulisic named US Soccer's male player of the yearGreg Beacham — December 18, 2021
  35. 2602017 CONCACAF Award Winners AnnouncedCONCACAF — December 19, 2017
  36. 2612021 Concacaf AwardsJanuary 24, 2022
  37. 270Here is the Best XI of the Concacaf Nations League FinalsCONCACAF — June 7, 2021
  38. 279BookPulisic: My Journey So FarC. Pulisic et al. — Rizzoli — October 11, 2022

Queue