Christian Pulisic will not be included in the U.S. men’s national team squad for this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, multiple sources confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday.
The AC Milan winger, the biggest star on the U.S. team, is set to be kept off the 26-man roster that is due to be announced by head coach Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday. FOX Sports was first to report Pulisic’s absence.
Advertisement
Pulisic’s Milan teammate, midfielder Yunus Musah, will also be left out of the tournament, which begins on June 14, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the squad makeup.
Pochettino now faces the daunting task of being without the core of his preferred starting group for what will be the U.S.’s last tournament ahead of next summer’s World Cup on home soil.
The Juventus duo of Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, plus Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna, will be missing due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, which also takes place on American soil in the same window as the Gold Cup. FIFA gave player priority to participating clubs over national teams as a special exemption this summer.
That trio, plus Pulisic and Musah, are arguably the highest-profile and most credentialed players in the talent pool. Coming off a disastrous showing in March’s Concacaf Nations League finals, with a fourth-place finish following defeats to Panama and Canada, this latest development is a significant blow for the U.S. coach and a team in desperate need of positive momentum.
Pulisic has struggled with a series of minor injuries during the current Serie A campaign, but is still on course to log the highest minutes tally of his career, provided he features heavily for Milan in its final league game, against Monza, on Saturday.
Pochettino is expected to give his thoughts on the matter when he speaks to reporters on Thursday, following a squad announcement that precedes pre-Gold Cup friendlies against Turkey (June 7) and Switzerland (June 10). Pulisic and Musah were both part of a preliminary 60-man group, which needed to be submitted on Monday to comply with tournament regulations. The final 26-man teams are due to be finalized on June 4.
Last month, Pochettino spoke about the role the Gold Cup holds in his planning.
Advertisement
“The Gold Cup is historically always a difficult competition, and we are excited to be involved and of course we want to win,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to test different players and see their character and continue to build and prepare the team for the World Cup.”
The USMNT is in a group with Trinidad and Tobago, guest nation Saudi Arabia, and Haiti. It begins its Group D campaign on June 15 against T&T at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif.
(Top photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Pacers vs. Knicks recap: Indiana takes Game 1 after stunning comeback, Tyrese Haliburton’s bouncing buzzer-beater
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals by virtue of a record number of ridiculous comebacks. That bore out in Game 1.On Wednesday, it was the Knicks yielding a late lead to a furious Pacers surge, then falling 138-135 in overtime to complete one of the most stunning games of an NBA playoffs that had already set a high mark for drama.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNew York led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter and by eight with a minute and a half to go. That should have been enough, but Aaron Nesmith kept making 3-pointers, five of them in the final four minutes of regulation to be exact.The game came down to one final possession for the Pacers, down two points with 7.3 seconds left. The ball naturally reached the hands of Tyrese […]
Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer beater sends Game 1 to overtime
<!--> Tyrese Haliburton hit a step-back long two-pointer to beat the buzzer and send Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to overtime. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! --> recommended Get more from Indiana Pacers Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Stars turn former weakness into strength, rally to beat Oilers in Game 1: Takeaways
DALLAS — Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer had a very quick response when asked before Game 1 what he had learned from last spring’s Western Conference final loss to the Oilers.“Don’t go 0-for-14 on the power play,” he said.How does 3-for-4 sound?The Stars scored three power-play goals in the first six minutes of the third period to turn a 3-1 deficit into a stunning 4-3 lead, and went on to win 6-3 on Wednesday — their second straight Game 1 victory after dropping eight in a row. Game 2 is Friday night at American Airlines Center.AdvertisementThe trio of power-play goals was even more remarkable given how horrendous the Dallas power play had been through the first two periods — the Stars could barely get any time in the offensive zone with the man advantage, let alone get a shot on […]
Christian Pulisic missing Gold Cup: Bad look for the player, bad break for USMNT
Christian Pulisic has long been the tone-setting player on this U.S. men’s national team, a leader by example who has been counted on in the program’s biggest moments.With just more than a year left to prepare for the World Cup, however, the U.S. will have to work its way out of a major slump without its most important player.AdvertisementPulisic will not be a part of the U.S.’s Gold Cup roster, sources confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday night. The news was first reported by Fox Sports. The 26-year-old winger seemingly wants a break after a long season with AC Milan. He has nursed and played through several slight injuries over the course of the Serie A campaign. The hope is that resting Pulisic in the Gold Cup will give him a better chance at being healthy for next season and, […]
NFL to reward its ‘unsung heroes’ with an OL Protector of the Year Award
<!--> Offensive linemen may get acknowledged and credited by their teammates and coaches, but they don't often receive recognition from the external NFL community and have never won individual accolades for their efforts. In 2025, that will change. The NFL introduced the Protector of the Year Award at the league's spring meeting on Wednesday. It will be given to the best offensive lineman each season and handed out at the annual NFL Honors event, alongside the Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and many other prestigious achievements. "We might not have all the fancy stats or end up on a highlight reel every week," Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins said. "But without us, there's no rushing titles, passing titles, or touchdowns." ADVERTISEMENT -->Josh Allen, the MVP of the 2024 NFL season, would likely agree with his […]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the MVP award is another team victory for the Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY — It wasn’t a shock to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win his first Most Valuable Player award, and usually these things follow a script of sorts.There were tears — referencing his wife.There was the praise for his teammates, who sat with him on the stage as he talked about his road.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd there was also the bling, but that was a bit different. It wasn't his own, but that of his teammates, who were sporting new Rolexes as a gift from Gilgeous-Alexander for winning the MVP trophy.Usually you see this in other sports, when a running back reaches 2,000 yards or a quarterback wins MVP, they gift their offensive lineman something as a token of thanks. It happens in basketball, too, but this took a little more gumption from Gilgeous-Alexander.The conversations began in earnest last season on the team bus, […]
Related
Pacers vs. Knicks recap: Indiana takes Game 1 after stunning comeback, Tyrese Haliburton’s bouncing buzzer-beater
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals by virtue of a record number of ridiculous comebacks. That bore out in Game 1.On Wednesday, it was the Knicks yielding a late lead to a furious Pacers surge, then falling 138-135 in overtime to complete one of the most stunning games of an NBA playoffs that had already set a high mark for drama.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNew York led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter and by eight with a minute and a half to go. That should have been enough, but Aaron Nesmith kept making 3-pointers, five of them in the final four minutes of regulation to be exact.The game came down to one final possession for the Pacers, down two points with 7.3 seconds left. The ball naturally reached the hands of Tyrese […]
Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer beater sends Game 1 to overtime
<!--> Tyrese Haliburton hit a step-back long two-pointer to beat the buzzer and send Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to overtime. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! --> recommended Get more from Indiana Pacers Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Stars turn former weakness into strength, rally to beat Oilers in Game 1: Takeaways
DALLAS — Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer had a very quick response when asked before Game 1 what he had learned from last spring’s Western Conference final loss to the Oilers.“Don’t go 0-for-14 on the power play,” he said.How does 3-for-4 sound?The Stars scored three power-play goals in the first six minutes of the third period to turn a 3-1 deficit into a stunning 4-3 lead, and went on to win 6-3 on Wednesday — their second straight Game 1 victory after dropping eight in a row. Game 2 is Friday night at American Airlines Center.AdvertisementThe trio of power-play goals was even more remarkable given how horrendous the Dallas power play had been through the first two periods — the Stars could barely get any time in the offensive zone with the man advantage, let alone get a shot on […]
Christian Pulisic missing Gold Cup: Bad look for the player, bad break for USMNT
Christian Pulisic has long been the tone-setting player on this U.S. men’s national team, a leader by example who has been counted on in the program’s biggest moments.With just more than a year left to prepare for the World Cup, however, the U.S. will have to work its way out of a major slump without its most important player.AdvertisementPulisic will not be a part of the U.S.’s Gold Cup roster, sources confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday night. The news was first reported by Fox Sports. The 26-year-old winger seemingly wants a break after a long season with AC Milan. He has nursed and played through several slight injuries over the course of the Serie A campaign. The hope is that resting Pulisic in the Gold Cup will give him a better chance at being healthy for next season and, […]
NFL to reward its ‘unsung heroes’ with an OL Protector of the Year Award
<!--> Offensive linemen may get acknowledged and credited by their teammates and coaches, but they don't often receive recognition from the external NFL community and have never won individual accolades for their efforts. In 2025, that will change. The NFL introduced the Protector of the Year Award at the league's spring meeting on Wednesday. It will be given to the best offensive lineman each season and handed out at the annual NFL Honors event, alongside the Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and many other prestigious achievements. "We might not have all the fancy stats or end up on a highlight reel every week," Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins said. "But without us, there's no rushing titles, passing titles, or touchdowns." ADVERTISEMENT -->Josh Allen, the MVP of the 2024 NFL season, would likely agree with his […]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the MVP award is another team victory for the Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY — It wasn’t a shock to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win his first Most Valuable Player award, and usually these things follow a script of sorts.There were tears — referencing his wife.There was the praise for his teammates, who sat with him on the stage as he talked about his road.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd there was also the bling, but that was a bit different. It wasn't his own, but that of his teammates, who were sporting new Rolexes as a gift from Gilgeous-Alexander for winning the MVP trophy.Usually you see this in other sports, when a running back reaches 2,000 yards or a quarterback wins MVP, they gift their offensive lineman something as a token of thanks. It happens in basketball, too, but this took a little more gumption from Gilgeous-Alexander.The conversations began in earnest last season on the team bus, […]
Be the first to leave a comment