How long has Christian Pulisic gone without scoring?: Pulisic's goal drought passed 100 days on 6 April 2026 when he came on as a substitute in AC Milan's 1-0 defeat to Napoli. His last goal was 28 December 2025.Source: media
Does Christian Pulisic play for AC Milan?: Yes. Pulisic joined AC Milan from Chelsea in 2023. He is the USMNT captain and their key attacking player for the 2026 World Cup.
How many Champions League titles has AC Milan won?: Seven. AC Milan are one of the most decorated clubs in world football, with 7 European Cups / Champions League titles and 19 Serie A titles.Source: background
What happened when Pulisic scored against Cagliari in May 2026?: Pulisic scored twice in a 5-1 Milan home win on 11 May 2026, his first brace in Italian football. The brace tied Lautaro Martínez on seven goals in the Capocannoniere race and ended a 134-day drought.Source: Lowdown
Did Christian Pulisic end his goal drought before the World Cup?: Yes. Pulisic scored twice in AC Milan's 5-1 win over Cagliari on 11 May 2026, ending a 134-day drought stretching back to 28 December 2025.Source: Lowdown

Background

AC Milan are an Italian football club based in Milan, currently relevant to the 2026 World Cup through Christian Pulisic, the USMNT captain who plays for the club. On Monday 11 May 2026, Pulisic scored twice in Milan's 5-1 home win over Cagliari Calcio at San Siro, ending a 134-day scoring drought that had stretched back to a Boxing Day-week fixture against Hellas Verona on 28 December 2025. Coach Stefano Pioli started Pulisic in his preferred Left-channel role rather than deploying him as a substitute — the first selection signal that Milan's staff judged the form trough to be over. The brace lifted Pulisic to seven Serie A goals, tying Lautaro Martínez at the top of the 2025-26 Capocannoniere race with two matchdays remaining.

AC Milan were founded in 1899 and are one of the most decorated clubs in world football, with 19 Serie A titles and 7 UEFA Champions League trophies. They share the San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza) with city rivals Inter Milan. Milan experienced a major revival under Stefano Pioli, winning the 2021-22 Serie A title — their first league championship in 11 years. Pulisic joined the club from Chelsea in 2023 and was a consistent performer in his first season.

The Pulisic situation put Milan in an unusual spotlight for an international tournament. The drought, which had passed 100 days in early April when he came on as a substitute in Milan's defeat to Napoli, was the single most-watched individual indicator ahead of Mauricio Pochettino's 26 May USMNT squad announcement. The 90 minutes against Cagliari resolved the captaincy form question on deadline week. Pochettino names the United States World Cup 26 on Tuesday 26 May; Pulisic settled the one selection problem visible to every American viewer, ending a drought that had run through every other cover week of the season.

How the World Sees Them

AC Milan

Pioli's decision to start Pulisic in his preferred left-channel role rather than use him as a substitute signalled renewed trust; the 5-1 result justified the selection.

USMNT fans

Pulisic's brace ends the central anxiety around the host nation's tournament chances — a 134-day form cloud cleared with two weeks to go before the squad announcement.

Italian football

Milan's Serie A campaign is secondary to the broader FIGC presidential transition, but Pulisic's form reflects renewed attacking coherence from Pioli's setup.

Mauricio Pochettino

The captaincy question resolved on the deadline week before the 26 May squad reveal; four selection problems remain, but the biggest one is answered.