Christian Pulisic registered an assist in AC Milan's 3-2 win over Torino on 13 April, his first goal contribution in any competition in 2026. He started the match, a meaningful detail given that he came off the bench in Milan's defeat to Napoli the week before . Stefano Pioli's selection on Sunday returned him to the starting XI he had occupied for most of the autumn before form fell away.
Pulisic has not scored since 28 December 2025 against Hellas Verona, a drought that now runs beyond 100 days. The assist is the first datapoint to break the trajectory but does not break the drought itself, and Pochettino's selection staff will read it accordingly. The trajectory is upward; the goal column is not.
The context that matters for the United States head coach is the role question. Pulisic has played left number 10 for Milan and central striker for the United States across the last 18 months, and the form question is bound up with the tactical question. An assist from a wide left position in Turin tells the staff something about Milan's plan; it does not yet answer where Pulisic plays in a USMNT shirt at the World Cup. With the squad announcement on 26 May and the Senegal and Germany friendlies straddling that date, the time available to test a particular role with him in it has narrowed sharply.
