11JUN

Pulisic goal drought passes 100 days before World Cup

1 min read

09:02UTC

The USMNT captain has not scored in over 100 days, coming on as a substitute in Milan's defeat with the World Cup 62 days away.

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Key takeaway

Pulisic has not scored for 100 days with the World Cup 62 days away, a selection pressure for Pochettino.

Pulisic came on as a late substitute in AC Milan's 1-0 defeat to Napoli on 6 April, extending a goalless run that began during the USMNT's back-to-back defeats at the World Cup opening venue . His last goal was 28 December 2025 against Hellas Verona; the drought now exceeds 100 days.

With Pochettino's 26 May squad announcement 50 days away, the drought is a selection pressure as well as a form issue. He was used as a substitute rather than a starter against Napoli, suggesting AC Milan's coaching staff have reduced his role. Pochettino declared himself 'more positive' despite the venue defeats , but Pulisic's form remains the single most-watched individual indicator ahead of the squad announcement.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

The USA's best player hasn't scored a goal for more than 100 days. The World Cup starts in 62 days. He came on as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to Napoli, which suggests his club manager doesn't even see him as a guaranteed starter right now. Pochettino's squad announcement is 26 May.

Sources:World Soccer Talk

Mentions:Hellas Verona →Mauricio Pochettino →World Cup →USMNT →Christian Pulisic →AC Milan →Napoli →

First Reported In

Update #6 · FIFA's stealth price hike

World Soccer Talk· 10 Apr 2026

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Causes and effects

This Event

Pulisic goal drought passes 100 days before World Cup

Pulisic's form is a direct concern for Pochettino's squad selection and the USMNT's attacking viability at home.

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Pulisic's 100-day goal drought, documented when he came on as substitute vs Napoli, makes the 13 April assist against Torino — where he started — a form indicator but not a resolution.

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Pulisic's drought of 16 games advances the form thread tracked since the 100-day milestone in prior updates.

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Pulisic's 134-day drought (passed 100 days on 6 April, ID:2178) was the selection pressure resolved by his 11 May brace against Cagliari.

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Different Perspectives

FIFA

FIFA's 48-team format, projecting $13.1 billion in 2026-cycle revenue against $7.5 billion for 2019-2022, opened on 11 June despite simultaneous legal, labour and security crises. Expanding to 48 sides structurally reduced the stakes of individual group results, which is both its commercial logic and the mechanism that let the build-up machinery run without cancellation.

Brazil

Brazil open Group C against Morocco on 13 June missing Neymar, Rodrygo, Estevao and Militao; Ancelotti expressed no regrets carrying an injured Neymar and targets the Haiti fixture on 20 June for his return. Morocco's full-strength XI is rated higher by performance index than Brazil's depleted opener lineup, making this the most awkward first fixture any pre-tournament favourite has drawn.

United States

The co-host avoided its most damaging opening image when UNITE HERE Local 11 reached a tentative deal with Legends on 9 June, pulling a threatened strike off the table days before Pochettino's 4-3-3 faces Paraguay. The agreement requires a ratification vote this week; rejection returns the threat before the first US match.

South Africa

Bafana Bafana returned to the World Cup after a 16-year absence in Hugo Broos's final tournament before retirement, arriving at the Azteca opener with a counter-attacking shape to exploit possession-heavy hosts at altitude. Broos told his players to silence the Mexican crowd; his pace through Appollis and Mofokeng sets the tone for Group A.

Mexico

Mexico opened the tournament at home on 11 June carrying a 0W-5L-2D opener record and a sold-out Azteca, while the official Zocalo fan zone was occupied by teachers and families of the disappeared on the same morning. Sheinbaum's offer of 18 alternative venues rather than a clearance order reflects her calculation that force produces worse headlines than co-existence.

Norwegian Football Federation

NFF president Lise Klaveness sent a letter of support backing FairSquare's Article 15 ethics complaint against Infantino, explicitly noting Norway was acting alone as a deliberate signal. The filing converted an external NGO campaign into the first internal federation action against the FIFA president, arriving in the same fortnight as Platini's Paris criminal complaint.