“I had to make a decision, and this is what I feel is best for myself and the team,” said Christian Pulisic while explaining his absence from the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. For someone who wore the captain’s armband just a couple of months before this two-month-long summer competition, the USMNT forward expected nothing different. But instead, fans saw Pulisic miss the event entirely, citing fatigue. However, the AC Milan star ended up facing backlash over this decision.

And just when one would expect the dust to have settled, given how long it has been since this debacle began, many people to this day still take it to heart. No wonder in the final episodes of the 25-year-old’s Paramount+ documentary, Pulisic, the American star couldn’t hold back, using the stage as the perfect platform to subtly express his frustration.

In the episode, when asked how difficult it had become for him to keep up with both domestic and international packed schedules, he replied, “It is hard to keep up with playing every single game. You see a ton of injuries.” Sure, he admitted he understands that, considering the business he is in, he’s expected to play almost every match.

But what surprised him the most was receiving backlash for prioritizing and looking after himself just once. Everyone had their opinion on the talented winger, one way or the other, leaving Pulisic disheartened. “In my opinion, everyone just disrespected me in a lot of ways and completely forgot what I have done for this national team in 10 years. It sucks,” said the USA international.

Notably, another controversial incident saw Pulisic slam former American striker Landon Donovan over his remarks for undermining the USMNT’s current Golden Generation’s desire to win something for the Stars and Stripes. Pulisic called it the ‘most annoying thing’, which even gained his father Mark and fellow national teammate Tim Weah’s support as well.

Regardless, coming back, the forward gave a bewildered, mocking reaction over the hate he was receiving regarding his Gold Cup absence, one MLS fan page ignited an interesting debate against the favor of Captain America. By reposting the clip shared by CBS Sports Golazo on X, the tweet read, “I’m NGL…. Christian is becoming unwatchable and someone I don’t care to root for.”

Then what? The remainder of the USMNT community didn’t waste time jumping into the controversy, vocally sharing their thoughts on the internet.

Christian Pulisic documentary ignites fierce debate among USMNT fans!

Last year, after the US Men’s National Team was knocked out of the 2024 Copa America, head coach Gregg Berhalter once again came under intense scrutiny. However, players like Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream, and many others came to their manager’s defense, instead taking the accountability into their hands.

Fast forward to today, this fan exactly knew how to use this instance in raising an argument that simply undermines Pulisic’s winning mentality: “Now we know why he wanted Gregg to stay. He never held this entitled whiny b**** accountable. Dude has a loser mentality and it’s infecting the entire USMNT.”

Forget the negative limelight on Christian Pulisic for a while. With this Gold Cup admission in his documentary, the majority of the USMNT fanbase is judging the entire national team from this mindset. “It’s hard to root for a team when you know that’s the perspective,” one wrote.

This reminds us of Alexi Lalas’ response to Pulisic’s subtle dig at USMNT icons who criticize the so-called Golden Generation. While he slammed the AC Milan forward for several things—such as bringing his father into the debate or Tim Weah labeling retired American players-turned-pundits as “evil”—Lalas reminded everyone that such narratives shouldn’t be formed, especially with the 2026 World Cup less than 300 days away.

And he’s not entirely wrong, as we can all see how things have turned out for Pulisic—his documentary clearly seems to have struck a nerve with many. Then again, not all are against their favorite American star, with some coming in support of the talented winger. Like this fan who wrote, “OR…he knows his talent has been wasted due to the sheer incompetence of the USMNT national body and their fragile egos.”

In the documentary, Tim Weah didn’t hesitate to point out that the previous generation “weren’t anything either,” emphasizing that Christian Pulisic has already surpassed each of his critics in terms of career achievements. Looks like this netizen had a similar card to play: “No American has ever reached the levels that he has. Let him take care of his mental and physical health so he is ready for a World Cup.”

Let’s not get distracted by why exactly Pulisic felt it was the right decision to skip the Gold Cup. Simply put, he was tired—and playing could have made his injury worse. And sounds like we have heard it before in the case of basketball. Ring any bells? Well, hear this fan’s perspective:

“The Gold Cup is the equivalent of when the USA men’s Basketball team attends the Americup or one of those less important tournaments. Lebron, KD are nowhere to be found for those, and no1 says a word about it? Why bash Pulisic for resting?”

Soccer is indeed a demanding sport. Be it playing for country or club, it is understandable that there’s simply no choice for the players but to play when asked to, except, of course, when they can’t play. Not to mention, how close the World Cup is, taking a vital step of not playing just to keep himself safe from injury is also Christian Pulisic’s right:

“Best player the us has ever had sitting out of an irrelevant tournament for rest after playing 50+ games in back-to-back seasons so he can rest for another 50+ game season in a World Cup year where we host. Oh, the horror,” wrote another in a rather sarcastic yet solid note.

Be that as it may, this was just a glimpse of what you saw, as there are many others who had their mixed reactions to share regarding this Gold Cup absence admission from Christian Pulisic. Regardless, share your views in the comments.