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Christian Pulisic Emerges from National Team Absence with Clear Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 4:24 PM ET

The United States Men's National Team is set to square off with border rival Mexico for the eighth time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Sunday in Houston.

Prominent American analysts such as Fox Soccer's Alexi Lalas have suggested that USMNT is a "clear underdog" against defending champion Mexico given the state of the two rosters.

The Yanks are missing a number of key European-based players who chose to rest this summer in their final chance to have a break before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

None of them faced more criticism for skipping the Gold Cup than longtime captain Christian Pulisic, who remained silent about Mauricio Pochettino's team until Thursday, when the USA-Mexico final was set.

“So proud of these guys," Pulisic, 26, wrote on his Instagram story. "One more to go.”

The message of support accompanied a graphic posted by the team that prominently featured Diego Luna.

Wearing Pulisic's No. 10 jersey, Luna has been the breakout star of the tournament, sending USMNT to the final with a brace against Guatemala in Wednesday's 2-1 semifinal win.

He has three goals and two assists in the competition, earning support on social media for a place on the 2026 World Cup squad even when the likes of Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah and Folarin Balogun return to the team.

Pulisic logged more than 3,500 minutes in all competitions for AC Milan across the 2024-2025 season. Before the Gold Cup, he told CBS Sports that his decision to skip the tournament was about putting himself and the team in the best position to succeed in 2026.

“I had to make a decision and this is what I feel is best for myself and the team.”

Christian Pulisic explains his decision to prioritize recovery over competing in the Gold Cup with the #USMNT pic.twitter.com/YxDdwwh7T7
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) June 12, 2025

However, he also claimed that he asked to play in two pre-tournament friendlies, but Pochettino's staff denied his request.

Pulisic, who has 32 goals and 18 assists in 76 appearances for the Stars and Stripes, last appeared for the national team in back-to-back losses in the CONCACAF Nations League in March.

His all-time record against Mexico is four wins, three losses and two draws, including a loss in the 2019 Gold Cup final and a win in the 2021 Nations League final.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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