Mauricio Pochettino has put his faith in Christian Pulišić in public, saying the winger will score at the World Cup. That leaves the next two friendlies looking less like simple warm-ups and more like a confidence check for a player who has gone 19 games without a goal for AC Milan and 18 months without scoring for the USMNT.

Pulisic's club form is not empty, which is why the drought has become such a talking point. He has 7 Serie A goals and 3 assists in 29 league appearances in 2025, with a 6.92 average rating. The issue is the gap since his last finish, not his general output.

Why Pochettino is making this public

Pochettino was unusually direct about it. “He's going to score in the World Cup. I really trust in that... He's had a very good attitude, very good commitment. He's trying so hard to get to his best level. I think he will achieve it,” he told si.com. He added: “For me, he's a special player. We are going to try in these [two] weeks to recover his confidence, and we really trust in him, and we have the confidence that he is going to perform.”

That is a strong public backing, but it also sets a clear standard. The final warm-up games against Senegal in Charlotte and Germany in Chicago are about more than fitness. Pochettino has said the aim is to recover Pulisic's confidence before the tournament, and that is the right way to frame the week.

Pulisic has said as much himself. “I'm confident that good things are going to come. You make a couple of good plays in a tournament like this, and things change fast.”

What the numbers say about the drought

There is still some noise around how the drought is being described. One account puts it at 19 games without a goal for Milan, while another says he has not scored for Milan in 2026 and that it has been 18 months since his last USMNT goal. Both versions point to the same basic problem, Pulisic is still waiting too long between decisive moments.

The club situation adds another layer. AC Milan's contract talks have stalled, his deal at San Siro runs until June 2027, and his entourage has asked for wages to be doubled to €8m per season. That does not change what the USMNT need from him this month, but it does mean the pressure around him is not coming from one direction only.

The smartest read here is not that Pulisic has stopped being productive. It is that his recent run has made confidence the real story. If he looks sharp against Senegal or Germany, Pochettino's guarantee will feel a lot less like optimism and a lot more like expectation by the time the World Cup starts.

FAQ

Will Christian Pulisic score at the World Cup after his recent drought?

Mauricio Pochettino says he will. Pulisic has gone 19 games without a goal for Milan and it has been 18 months since his last USMNT goal, but Pochettino says the next two weeks are about recovering his confidence before the tournament.

Why is Christian Pulisic under pressure before the World Cup?

Because the drought is real even if his wider output has not vanished. He has 7 Serie A goals and 3 assists in 2025, but he has also gone 19 games without a goal for Milan and last scored for the USMNT 18 months ago.

What is happening with Christian Pulisic's Milan contract talks?

His contract at San Siro runs until June 2027, but talks have stalled. He currently earns €4m per season, while his entourage has asked for wages to be doubled to €8m per season.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →