Carli Lloyd says she was “disappointed” with Christian Pulisic following US world cup loss

Christian Pulisic has found himself at the center of some sharp criticism. Team USA soccer legend Carli Lloyd, who is now forty-three years old, did not hold back after the American men were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup in a 4-1 defeat against Belgium on July 6. Speaking on Fox Sports, Lloyd took aim at the squad's overall mentality before singling out the national team's captain specifically.

"I felt like they lost the game before they even stepped out onto the pitch. Just from the beginning. Chasing, tentative, scared, just not confident on the ball," she shared.

Lloyd then pointed her finger squarely at Pulisic.

"I gotta be honest, I was a bit disappointed with Christian Pulisic," she shared.

"Whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn't see enough from him in this particular game and, really, the whole World Cup. Little glimpses here or there," she added.

As per a report shared by Us Weekly, Pulisic, who is now twenty-seven years old, did not find the net at any point during the tournament. His night against Belgium ended early, as he was forced off in the fifty-ninth minute after twisting his right ankle on the boot of Belgian captain Youri Tielemans.

Christian Pulisic reflects on what went wrong at the 2026 World Cup:

As per a report shared by The Washington Post, Pulisic had actually entered the tournament in decent form. He delivered a sharp first half against Paraguay in the opener, setting up one goal, helping create another and causing problems down the left flank. A left calf injury cut his night short at the break, and he missed the following 2-0 win over Australia entirely.

He came off the bench against Turkey, hit the post and looked lively. His influence against Bosnia in the last sixteen was quieter, though his ability to wriggle away from defenders proved useful as the United States held on while a man down.

But none of it added up to the tournament he had hoped for. Christian was candid about that.

"It's disappointing I didn't quite have the moments I was hoping to, and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team," he said.

He did not dwell on the negatives for long, though.

"But I'm going to try to stay positive. I did a lot of good things, and the team did as well," Pulisic added.

Christian had felt his level was where it needed to be heading into the summer.

"I felt really good this summer. I thought my level was high," he shared.

By the time he limped off against Belgium in the fifty-ninth minute, with the Americans already chasing a two-goal deficit, it was clear the tournament had slipped away from him.

Christian Pulisic fails to recapture his early World Cup form:

As per the report shared by The Washington Post, what Christian produced against Paraguay in the opening game never showed up again. The sharp dribbling runs dried up. His natural chemistry with left back Antonee Robinson and striker Folarin Balogun, so obvious in that first match, never quite clicked into place again across the remainder of the tournament.

The United States has now fallen at the round of sixteen at three consecutive World Cup appearances. Pulisic was part of all three exits. Rather than being the player who finally steered the Americans past that wall and into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, he ended up on the losing side of the same familiar roadblock.

He did not shy away from how much it stung.

"It sucks any time you lose," he said.

"Even if we made it to the semis and lost, it's the same feeling again. So right now it definitely stinks," he added.

Christian Pulisic thanks the fans and sets his sights on AC Milan:

Despite the painful exit, Pulisic made a point of acknowledging the supporters who showed up across the entire tournament. As per a report shared by ESPN, he was genuinely moved by the atmosphere the home crowd created.

"We're grateful for the support that they gave us this summer, it really felt like they took a step up," he said.

"Those memories all keep with me forever having a World Cup in the U.S. so we're just grateful for that support," he added.

With the international break now behind him, Christian shared that his immediate plan was to step away, clear his head and spend time with family before turning his attention back to club football. He will return to AC Milan ahead of a new season, where he will also have a fresh challenge waiting. New manager Ruben Amorim takes charge of the club, giving Pulisic another opportunity to prove himself.

He made clear, though, that the hunger to achieve more with the national team has not gone anywhere.

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"We'll be right back in a few weeks going back to preseason and back with the national team, no doubt," he said.

"There's still a lot more that we want to accomplish," he added.

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