Soccer News

Home

Teams

Leagues

Quizzes

Newsletter

American forward Christian Pulisic (left) battles during a Concacaf Nations League match. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Silly Pulisic-Landon Donovan spat hurts U.S. Soccer

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 4:37 PM ET

U. S. Men's National Team star Christian Pulisic and his father are feuding with American soccer legend Landon Donovan. This petty, ill-informed spat shows how America's top soccer personalities need to grow up.

It all began in May, when U. S. Soccer dropped a bombshell that Pulisic would be unavailable to play in this summer's Gold Cup.

"Christian and his team approached the federation [U. S. Soccer] about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years," said U. S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker.

If Pulisic, an AC Milan midfielder, decided to step back from his last competitive USMNT performances before the World Cup because he was injured, burned out or mentally struggling, he's never said anything to that effect. He has only mentioned what Crocker shared in his statement: that international soccer is busy and it had made him tired.

Flash forward to June 8 and the European Nations League Final in which Portugal beat Spain after 120 minutes of grueling play. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's longtime talisman, played a significant chunk of those minutes and scored a key goal. Donovan, who covered the game for Fox Sports, was impressed by Ronaldo's commitment.

"I can’t help but think about our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup," said Donovan as he watched the 40-year-old Ronaldo give his all. "It’s pissing me off" (h/t: The Guardian). The comment was a clearly a pointed criticism of Pulisic.

Then Mark Pulisic, Christian's father, took to Instagram to lambast Donovan for that comment. After sharing a bizarre ChatGPT message about Donovan, the elder Pulisic went off on the former USMNT striker.

“This guy is talking about commitment. Look in the mirror + grow a pair and call names out, or are you afraid? Next time you want an interview, you will get rejected again,” he wrote (h/t The Guardian). Christian Pulisic liked the post shortly after his father made it.

Donovan is the last person who should be criticizing Pulisic for taking a break. In 2014, months before the World Cup in Brazil, Donovan sat out several key World Cup qualifiers for the USMNT and gave the same excuse Pulisic did.

But Pulisic and his father would do well to remember how that particular stunt ended for Donovan. The once-undroppable striker was unceremoniously cut from the USMNT World Cup lineup. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann took a group of young, hungry strikers to Brazil instead, and together they put together the USMNT's most lauded international performance since 2002.

As current USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino finds his footing with the likes of Patrick Agyemang, Brian White and Diego Luna, Pulisic looks like he's repeating Donovan's mistakes. This summer's Gold Cup is the USMNT's last competitive outing before the World Cup, but Pulisic has shown that it isn't important to him.

What is Pochettino — and the American soccer community, for that matter — supposed to do with that? Praise Pulisic for his honesty and keep his spot on the team warm in the hope he changes his mind? Or should Pochettino cut losses and move on to a player with more left to give?

Actions have consequences. When a USMNT star steps down from the team, he sends a clear message about how seriously he takes U. S. Soccer. To change that message, Pulisic must maturely and concisely communicate like the star he is and not go through his father (and ChatGPT) on Instagram.

This silliness must end.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

More must-reads: