Christian Pulisic Talks Hot Start for AC Milan: ‘I Worked Really Hard This Summer’

AUSTIN, Texas – Christian Pulisic made waves over the summer when the most irreplaceable soccer player in United States elected to skip the Concacaf Gold Cup, the last competitive games for the national team before the country co-hosts the all-important FIFA World Cup next June and July.

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After two highly successful but physically and mentally taxing seasons in Italy with seven-time European champions AC Milan, Pulisic told U.S. men’s team coach Mauricio Pochettino that he needed a break to be at his best when the main event arrived in 2026. 

Christian Pulisic returned to the USMNT mix back in September. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

Pochettino didn’t love it. Neither did many USMNT fans. Yet five months on, it’s difficult to argue that Pulisic made the wrong decision — even after an American squad without Pulisic lost the Gold Cup final to historic rival Mexico.

Pulisic reported to UMSNT camp on Monday ahead of Friday’s friendly match against Ecuador in the best form of his stellar career. The recently turned 27-year-old leads not just Milan in goals, but all of Italy’s Serie A – which got him named Player of the Month.

Asked on Thursday if his hot start to the season was attributable to the extra rest, Pulisic took the opportunity to correct the record.

“I worked really hard this summer,” he said. “It’s not like I just took a break.”

Sure, images of Pulisic relaxing during the summer were posted to his Instagram feed. In June, he attended the Stanley Cup finals in Florida, his offseason home. 

But that only told part of the story. There were also plenty of gym sessions. 

“I wanted to make sure that my body was in the perfect spot coming into the season,” he said. “I wanted to start really strong.”

Start strong he did. Despite missing a penalty in Sunday’s scoreless draw with Juventus that featured USMNT teammate Weston McKennie, Pulisic has four goals in the Rossoneri’s first six games. His strike rate of a goal every 81 minutes — an astounding rate for a center forward, let alone a winger like Pulisic. His two assists are just one shy of the league leaders.

“It’s just been consistency and the work I put in, and it’s good to see it come to fruition.”

Weston McKennie is expected to be back in action for the U.S. men’s team. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

For all his exploits at club level, Pulisic has yet to score for the national team in four games in 2025. But he did set up Folarin Balogun’s tally in last month’s 2-0 win over Japan with a seeing-eye pass, and will have more chances to add to his 32 international goals agains two World Cup-bound squads – starting with Friday’s match against Ecuador and then next Tuesday’s match against Australia near Denver.  

Having McKennie back — Pochettino left the veteran midfielder off the Americans’ September window — can’t hurt.

“Weston brings a smile to the team,” Pulisic said. “He brings a lot of energy in how he plays, and also just his personality. So he’s just a great guy to have.”

Either way, Pulisic insisted that he’s not at the height of his considerable powers yet.

“It’s just the start of the season,” he said. “I have so much more that I want to accomplish.”

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.