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As the United States prepares for its World Cup opener on Friday, what exactly does it take from star forward Christian Pulisic to make an impact this summer?
Expect him to let his game do the talking.
“Christian Pulisic is never going to be the personality that people want him to be, the leader that people want him to be. He’s going to lead by example,” FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas told Colin Cowherd on Monday’s edition of “The Herd.”
After a narrow 2-1 loss to Germany in the final warm-up match before the World Cup, Lalas then predicted how Pulisic would handle his role as the focal point of the US attack.
When Cowherd asked what kind of production was mandatory from Pulisic, Lalas countered that fans and media shouldn’t wait for the star to transform into a vocal leader in front of the cameras.
“He’s not particularly gregarious or larger than life when you see him interviewed. He doesn’t need to be,” Lalas added.
Instead, Lalas believes Pulisic’s influence is entirely linked to his play on the pitch.
“He just needs to go on the pitch, take on the players one-on-one and in doing so he will attract a lot of defenders, open up space for others and then he will do what he does so well: beat the players and provide the assist or finish the goal,” Lalas said.
“He has to be the star in the sense that he has to dominate the matches. I think he can do that in this World Cup.”
There are no more outsiders
Christian Pulisic will rely on his leadership on the pitch. (Getty Images0
Lalas reiterated that because this modern team was given support and resources from a young age, the old safety net of hiding behind the underdog label has expired.
“At the end of the day, when it comes to this team, we should expect more from this USA team than we’ve ever had in the past. I don’t think it’s irrational or unfair to do that. This isn’t a grumpy ‘old man,’ but this is a generation that has been given absolutely everything from a young age, and with that comes higher expectations,” Lalas said. “America, you should expect your team to win this group.”
If the United States takes care of business and wins Group B, which includes Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, the new 48-team tournament structure provides a lighter path for the program into the knockout stage.
“Now you are in these round of 16, in which you would face a team that you are better at,” Lalas emphasized. “We’ve never been to a men’s World Cup where we were playing a knockout match against a team we’re better at. You take care of business there and you get back to the round of 16.”
If they navigate this uncharted territory as the hunted rather than the hunters, the unique advantage of playing at home could push the team into uncharted territory.
“You need a little help from the football gods out there, but this team, especially with the magic of [home] World Cup… you’re in rarefied air.”
Cowherd didn’t hesitate to abandon his own bold prediction, projecting that the United States would not only advance from the group stage, but win two games in the round of 16.
“We added [more] teams in this World Cup and they’re not powerhouse teams,” Cowherd noted. “There are potentially some wins here on the schedule.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: how to watch
The World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX and FS1, with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps.
