The Rise of Christian Pulisic

It’s not exactly groundbreaking to suggest that world class American soccer/football stars have been pretty hard to come by in the last few years, if not decades. While you may get the odd superstar that breaks through into the mainstream, for the most part, the majority of high level US players tend to linger around the USMNT and MLS for the majority of their careers.

We aren’t saying that there is anything wrong with that, either, because these guys are well within their rights to achieve success as that level and have a great time doing so. However, if you want to really make it in the big time, more often than not you need to try and make the transition over to the European game – which is exactly what Christian Pulisic has been able to do.

What a run

At the age of just 20 it’s already clear to see that this kid has got something special going on, and that should immediately excite every single American fan out there. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he’s got the kind of skill and determination that you rarely see in someone of his age.

Interestingly enough, even though he has never played in Major League Soccer, he’s already doing things to make fans believe that he is dedicated to his roots. Back in the day Christian applied for Croatian citizenship through his grandfather after he moved over to Germany, where he had signed with Borussia Dortmund. He did this in order to avoid getting a German work visa, and as a result, he was given a chance to play for the Croatian national team.

He would’ve been well within his rights to say yes and begin his journey with one of the best teams in international football, and yet, he turned them down. Why? Because he wanted to represent the red, white & blue with the United States Men’s National Team. If that isn’t dedication, we don’t know what is.

Looking to the future

Now, Pulisic’s great work with Dortmund has earned him a move to the Premier League with Chelsea. The Blues loaned him straight back out to the German giants, but as you can probably tell by this analysis on talkSPORT, the English are dying to see what he can produce over there.

In addition to that, a report from Sports Business Daily that initially came from ESPN.com suggests that Chelsea are hoping the signing of Pulisic will help to grow their image and popularity in the States. That may sound like a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of one kid, but he’s quite clearly up to the challenge judging by what he’s been able to accomplish thus far in his career.

Pulisic is one of the guiding lights in the growth of soccer in the United States, and he knows it. He’s taking the responsibility very seriously and with North America hosting the World Cup in 2026, he could easily be the face of that tournament.

Can he maintain his momentum for seven years, we hear you ask? Let’s wait and see.