SerpApi.Org
Christian Pulisic has faced heavy criticism following the USMNT's early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
There were high expectations surrounding Mauricio Pochettino's squad heading into the tournament, with many believing the Argentine manager could guide the United States to one of its best-ever World Cup campaigns.
Instead, the Americans were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Belgium, falling short of matching their recent best World Cup finish of reaching the quarterfinals.
Pulisic, in particular, came under intense scrutiny after both his performance and his comments following the defeat. The AC Milan forward, dubbed "Captain America" by fans, suffered a microfracture in his right leg and was substituted during the second half against Belgium.
Following the elimination, Pulisic told reporters, "I have time to rest. It's just an unfortunate way to finish." The remark sparked widespread backlash from several former U.S. internationals, who felt it came across as tone-deaf.
One of Pulisic's biggest critics was Landon Donovan, who questioned the USMNT star's toughness and delivered a harsh assessment of the AC Milan forward.
Now, USMNT legend Eric Wynalda has taken direct aim at Donovan over those comments.
Eric Wynalda Slams Landon Donovan
Speaking on an episode of Schein Time, Wynalda defended Pulisic while criticizing Donovan's stance.
"He's [Pulisic] got people like Landon Donovan taking shots at him, which I don't appreciate, by the way. Landon Donovan took a hiatus and decided to go to Cambodia, so he doesn't get to talk about this."
Wynalda was referring to Donovan's well-known four-month sabbatical from professional soccer during the winter of 2012-13, when the former U.S. star stepped away from the game, citing severe physical and mental exhaustion.
Wynalda on Pulisic: “He Doesn't Want to be a Superstar”
Despite defending Pulisic from Donovan's criticism, Wynalda acknowledged that the AC Milan forward has not helped his own situation.
"All the facts are working against him right now. This is a guy that I still have a high opinion of. To be honest, he doesn't like the spotlight. He shouldn't be called a superstar. He doesn't want to be a superstar. He just wants to be a guy on a team that can help when he can. And part of the argument here is that some guys feel like they're always a shoe-in, that they have to start because they're such important players."
Wynalda also suggested the USMNT may have made the wrong decision by expecting Pulisic to carry the team despite his fitness concerns.
"Maybe he wasn't the guy to start in this game. Maybe this was an opportunity for Pochettino. It's easy, hindsight being 20/20, to make these kinds of assumptions, but only they know from the inside. But if they were putting him on the field on the assumption that he was going to be one of our best players, yeah, obviously, they got that one wrong."
