Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Mauricio Pochettino Wants Christian Pulisic to Emulate Lionel Messi for USMNT

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Apratim Banerjee | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 9:11 PM ET

Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest Soccer players in history. He currently plies his trade for MLS club Inter Miami.

Any team in the world would benefit from Messi's presence, so would the USMNT. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has urged Christian Pulisic to step up and follow Messi's footsteps for the national team.

Pulisic, formerly of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, currently plies his trade for Serie A giants AC Milan. He scored 17 goals and set up 12 more in 50 appearances across competitions in 2024-25.

Messi led his country, Argentina, to FIFA World Cup glory in 2022. The 2026 edition of the tournament takes place in the United States.

The USMNT would look to put on a good performance in front of home fans and Pochettino has urged Pulisic to step up and play a Messi-esque role for his country.

Speaking on the Unified Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard podcast, he said, "Christian in the last year has shown great quality. He's performing in Europe, and also is performing here in the national team. He's a very talented player that can help us win."

He added, People compare Messi with Christian Pulisic. I don't want to be disrespectful with Messi or Pulisic but I think in this country, Pulisic should be our Messi. Because he's iconic player and if you ask a kid on the street to name one soccer player in this country, it's Pulisic."

Christian Pulisic is certainly the best player the USMNT have. He played a key role in the country reaching the 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.

Pulisic has an impressive record for the USMNT, scoring 32 goals and providing 20 assists in 78 appearances. He will look to have a good campaign in 2025-26 before playing the FIFA World Cup next year.

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

More must-reads: