Former USWNT star Carli Lloyd slams Christian Pulisic for underwhelming World Cup showing

United States of America forward Christian Pulisic. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former USWNT star Carli Lloyd slams Christian Pulisic for underwhelming World Cup showing

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jul 8, 2026 11:14 AM ET

Many are ripping United States National Men's Team forward Christian Pulisic for his disappointing 2026 FIFA World Cup, including former U.S. Women's National Team star/Fox analyst Carli Lloyd.

After exiting a 4-1 loss to Belgium due to an ankle injury, Pulisic told Fox Sports, he's looking forward to "[getting] time to rest." Lloyd, a two-time World Cup champion, took issue with that comment.

Carli Lloyd slams Christian Pulisic for "rest" comment

"You rest when your playing career is over. Period," wrote Lloyd Wednesday night on X.

USWNT forward Sydney Leroux shared a similar attitude toward Pulisic's comments.

"He rested the entire World Cup," Leroux wrote of Pulisic on X.

You rest when your playing career is over. Period.
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) July 8, 2026

He rested the entire World Cup. https://t.co/FwBr3Oy7zp
— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) July 7, 2026

Pulisic spent much of the World Cup on the bench because of injuries. He missed a 2-0 win over Australia in the group stage due to a calf issue and didn't start in a 3-2 loss to Turkiye. Many still aren't going to view those as excuses after he failed to score a goal in the World Cup. He promised to score multiple in May.

On a recent episode of his podcast, former USMNT standout Landon Donovan noted Pulisic may have been fresher if he played in the 2025 Gold Cup.

"I want to be careful because I'm sure people are piling on him," Donovan said. "A lot of it he deserves, of course — that is part and parcel of his role — but it is just disappointing. I was waiting for a moment from him, something special, something spectacular, and it just didn't happen."

With multiple well-respected figures in U.S. soccer criticizing him, perhaps that will help Pulisic realize he should increase his training and reduce his rest ahead of the next World Cup in 2030.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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