Landon Donovan, Christian Pulisic, and the drama over USMNT stars not playing

The faces of two different generations of the United States men’s national soccer team are engaged in a bit of a drama. While commenting on Portugal’s celebration in its win over Spain in the UEFA Nations League final for FOX Sports on Sunday, USMNT legend Landon Donovan took an implied dig at Christian Pulisic and other U.S. players for their decision to sit out the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup.

“This is what it means to represent your country,” Donovan said as the broadcast showed Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates celebrating the triumph. “This is what it means. And if you don’t want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don’t come in. This is what it means.

“[Ronaldo’s] 40 years old. He’s played a long ass season. He’s tired. He’s out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can’t help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s pissing me off.”

INGLEWOOD, CA – MARCH 23: Christian Pulisic’s absence from the USMNT ahead of the Gold Cup has become a point of discussion. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Even though Donovan didn’t name Pulisic or any other current USMNT player, Pulisic’s father certainly viewed it as a slight. Mark Pulisic fired back at Donovan in an Instagram post on Monday, posting a screenshot of him asking ChatGPT why Donovan took a sabbatical in 2012-13. 

“Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete,” ChatGPT replied to the elder Pulisic’s question. “He’d been playing professionally from a young age and had participated in multiple World Cups, so he felt the need to step back and take some time for himself. This break allowed him to rest, travel, and ultimately return to the game with a refreshed mindset.”

Landon Donovan is the joint-leading scorer in USMNT men’s history. (Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

While the younger Pulisic hasn’t commented on Donovan’s remarks, he seemed to co-sign his father’s sentiments. He liked the post his father made on Monday, drawing more attention to the matter on social media.

Pulisic, 26, had a career year for AC Milan in 2024-25, leading the club in goals (17) and points (27) across all competitions. He also played in 50 matches for his club team, logging a career-high 3,650 minutes this past season. 

USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie also came to the defense of Pulisic following Donovan’s remarks. McKennie will also miss the Gold Cup, but he’s playing for his club team, Juventus, in the Club World Cup. Other USMNT stars like Antonee Robinson (knee surgery) and Yunus Musah are also missing the Gold Cup.

“Obviously, none of us take for granted playing for the national team. None of us want to lose games,” McKennie told USA Today on Monday. “All of us want to compete. And for me, it’s a little bit, I won’t say sad, but as a former national team player, I think as a national team player pool – previous, present – I think it’s more about trying to build or even say something like that to a person directly rather than putting it out there.

“That’s just my opinion because we’ve all been through those moments, even when comments about us losing the Nations League were made by many players from before, but they’ve had the same thing on a bigger stage with not qualifying for the World Cup.” 

Is Christian Pulisic sitting out the Gold Cup a bad look?

Donovan’s comments were the latest made by a key member of a previous generation of USMNT soccer criticizing the younger stars who asked to be excluded from the roster due to rest. Former USMNT star Clint Dempsey said that while he’s a fan of Pulisic and other players, he questioned their competitiveness following their decision to pull out of roster consideration for the Gold Cup earlier in June. 

“In terms of his situation, I can’t say what it is, I don’t know the ins and outs of it,” Dempsey told the “Men in Blazers” podcast. “But in terms of my situation, when I played in Europe and came back, there were times where I was tired. I had to get a PRP injection in my adductor. I had to maybe rest for some of the friendly games so that I could be fit to play in the tournaments.

“Whether it was Gold Cup, whether it was Copa [América], whether it was Confederations Cup, whether it was the World Cup. Like I wasn’t gonna miss competitions. That’s just the kind of guy that I always was. So for me, I don’t understand it because that wasn’t my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games.”

Clint Dempsey, playing alongside Landon Donovan at the 2010 World Cup, has also questioned why current USMNT players are skipping out games. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, a former USMNT defender and two-time World Cup veteran, also criticized Pulisic.

“I don’t understand how a player turns down the chance to represent his country when it needs him most, especially at such a crucial time,” Lalas said on FOX Sports’ “State of the Union” podcast. “This is a tough blow for Pulisic’s image and for the team — when they need a positive presence, this summer should have been the perfect opportunity to build experience ahead of the World Cup.” 

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