Why Christian Pulisic made the Golazo 100 countdown, and what his presence says about USMNT’s talent pool

While the Golazo 100 starts rollingthe first group of players revealed includes Christian Pulisic who reached the age of 81 after a group vote among the team. The only American player to make the list, Pulisic is coming off an impressive debut season at Milan alongside his international teammate. Yunus Musah this saw him register 15 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, which is another strong European season for the American.

This year marked a year of firsts in Pulisic’s career. His 12 league goals are the first time he has broken double figures in league games throughout his career. His eight league assists are also a career high. But just as important as those stats, for the first time in his career, Pulisic has shown the ability to get on the field regularly and stay there. He played a career-high 36 of Milan’s 38 league games and only the second time he has broken the 30-game barrier, with the first coming in the 2017-18 season with Borussia Dortmund. Likewise, his 2,600 minutes played in the league are a high point, surpassing his 2,300 minutes from the same season at Dortmund. Pulisic has played more this season for Milan than he did in the last two years at Chelsea.

Pulisic’s ability to deliver when he is on the pitch has never been in doubt. He is capable of playing anywhere in the attack and his versatility has been an important factor in fitting in with clubs. Pulisic won the Champions League title with Chelsea as a utility striker who adapted wherever he was needed along the front line.

Still, their ranking still shows how far Americans have to go. Before the Copa América and World Cup took place in the United States in 2026, the only other Americans to receive any votes from the rankings panel were Weston McKennie It is Antonee Robinson.

The lack of some names like Gio Reyna and Tim Weah makes sense due to the difficulty of playing time at their clubs, but when other nations the USMNT will face have multiple players in the top 100, it shows that despite America moving up in the rankings of FIFA, America is still playing catch-up when it comes to its talent level. Other players will get there because it is a young team, but one thing that helps is that they have a reliable leader in Pulisic.

Now, having shown that it can act in England, Germany, and Italy, Pulisic is becoming a role model for current and future national team members, which will only help unearth the next Pulisic. It will be a busy summer, with expectations for the team and their captain being high as they need to at least get out of the group and be competitive in the knockout stages.

When is this match likely to be against Brazil or Colombia, it is a moment that will show the limits of what Pulisic and his team can do. Winning even one knockout round match is something that will go a long way toward ensuring that the next version of a list like this includes more Americans than this version.

Growth is necessary to reach the heights the USMNT needs to go, but following Pulisic the path is clear on how to get to where they want to be. As for Pulisic himself, if he can stay healthy and on the field and continue to have seasons like this, well, his stock on this list can’t help but increase. And this journey is set to be documented on Paramount+ where the documentary series “Pulisic” will premiere next season, chronicling the Americans’ journey into European football. Whatever comes next for the USMNT star, it will all be caught on camera.

Christian Pulisic Career Statistics